First Strike; America, Terrorism, and Moral Tradition

by Mark Totten

• ISBN13: 9780300124484
• ISBN10: 0300124481
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2010-09-21
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

Can the use of force first against a less-than-imminent threat be both morally acceptable and consistent with American values? In this timely book Mark Totten offers the first in-depth, historical examination of the use of preemptive and preventive force through the lens of the just war tradition. Although critical of the American incursion into Iraq as a so-called "preemptive war," Totten argues that the new terrorist threat nonetheless demands careful consideration of when the first use of force is legitimate. The moral tradition, he concludes, provides a principled way forward that reconciles American values and the demands of security.

Author Biography

Mark Totten is assistant professor of law, Michigan State University College of Law. He lives in Kalamazoo, MI.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vi
Introduction	p. 1
America
The Turn Toward Prevention	p. 11
"Against Our Traditions"?	p. 35
Just War at Home in America	p. 74
Tradition
Early Modern Rivals	p. 99
Anticipation in a State of Nature	p. 112
Evolution and Eclipse	p. 129
Revision
Behind Webster's Rule	p. 149
Beyond Webster's Rule	p. 161
Conclusion	p. 184
Notes	p. 187
Index	p. 217
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