Introduction: Moral victories- The ethics of winning wars

Cian O'Driscoll; Andrew Hom

doi:10.1093/oso/9780198801825.003.0001

Introduction: Moral victories- The ethics of winning wars

Cian O'Driscoll, Andrew Hom

School of Social and Political Science

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

Abstract

What is victory in war? If one is fighting for a just cause, is it a dereliction of duty to settle for anything less than victory? Can victory ever be worthy of the sacrifices made in its pursuit? What is its relation to the peace that everyone hopes will come once fighting has ended? This introduction discusses how the book will tackle these questions. It briefly traces the ubiquity and import of ‘victory’ in the theoretical and practical discourses of war from ancient times to the present day. It then juxtaposes three prominent examples of victory’s importance: the classical use of trophies and triumphs, the emergence of ‘degrade and destroy’ as a rubric for interpreting the ‘War on Terror’, and finally the centrality of victory to any efforts to conceive of war in strategic, political, or ethical terms. We close by providing an overview of the chapters to follow.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Moral Victories
Subtitle of host publication	The Ethics of Winning Wars
Editors	Andrew R. Hom, Cian O'Driscoll, Kurt Mills
Place of Publication	Oxford
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Pages	1-17
ISBN (Print)	9780198801825
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198801825.003.0001
Publication status	Published - 23 Nov 2017

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

moral victories
trophies
triumphs
degrade and destroy
War on Terror
ethics
strategy

Access to Document

10.1093/oso/9780198801825.003.0001

MV-ODriscoll_Hom-Introduction-AAM
This is a draft of a chapter that has been published by Oxford University Press in the book 'Moral Victories The Ethics of Winning Wars' edited by Andrew R. Hom, Cian O'Driscoll, and Kurt Mills, published in Nov 2017.
Accepted author manuscript, 149 KB

Cite this

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Introduction: Moral victories- The ethics of winning wars

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Moral Victories: Ethics, Exit Strategies, and the Ending of Wars

Conclusion: The Normative, Political, and Temporal Dimensions of Moral Victories

Moral Victories: The Ethics of Winning Wars

Can’t Lose For Winning: Victory In The Trump Presidency

International Studies Association Annual Convention

Cite this

Introduction: Moral victories- The ethics of winning wars

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Moral Victories: Ethics, Exit Strategies, and the Ending of Wars

Research output

Conclusion: The Normative, Political, and Temporal Dimensions of Moral Victories

Moral Victories: The Ethics of Winning Wars

Press/Media

Can’t Lose For Winning: Victory In The Trump Presidency

Activities

International Studies Association Annual Convention

Cite this