Project

New Dilemmas in Ethics, Technology, and War

Overview

New Dilemmas in Ethics, Technology, and War brings together an interdisciplinary group of scholars and practitioners to investigate ethical dilemmas posed by contemporary political developments and changes in military technology. The main idea behind this initiative is that although technological innovations and political developments are changing how modern wars are conducted, efforts to align the legal and ethical frameworks that guide states’ behavior before, during, and after war have not evolved accordingly.

Read more about the background of this initiative

The New Dilemmas in Ethics, Technology, and War project has three main goals:

  • To advance a new theoretical framework on the linkages among jus ad bellum (rules governing when to go to war), jus in bello (rules governing behavior in combat), and jus post bellum (rules governing appropriate actions after war) in current wars;
  • To broaden our collective understanding of the impact of new and future technology developments on the causes and conduct of war; and
  • To expand the debate about just war beyond a state-centric perspective to understand how other groups, including insurgency movements, civil society movements, and international organizations, engage with normative questions of warfare.

Main findings

Watch Paul Wise discuss his research on the indirect human costs of conflict, including on the health system

Watch Tanisha Fazal discuss her research on rebel groups and the laws of armed conflict

People

People

Project Chair
Project Advisors

Barry R. Posen

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Director, MIT Security Studies Program; Ford International Professor of Political Science
Academy Member
Steering Committee Members

Lloyd Axworthy

World Refugee & Migration Council
Chancellor
Academy Member

David J. Luban

Georgetown University
University Professor in Law and Philosophy
Academy Member

Aryeh Neier

Open Society Foundations
President Emeritus
Academy Member

Jennifer M. Welsh

McGill University
Canada 150 Research Chair in Global Governance and Security
Academy Member
Staff
Publications

Publications

News & Updates

News & Updates

Events

Events

Project Outcomes

Project Outcomes

Learn more about project outcomes, outreach, and activities here