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Home > Degree Programs > Teaching & Courses > 2008-2009 Course Listing > American Warfare and the Humanitarian Ethic: Law, Norms and Practice
IGA-309: American Warfare and the Humanitarian Ethic: Law, Norms and Practice
Semester: Spring
Credit: 1.0
Faculty: Sarah Sewall
Schedule
| Day | Time | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Day | 1/28 | ||
| Meet Day | M/W | 10:10 AM - 11:30 AM | L130 |
| Review |
Description
Critically examines the conduct of modern U.S. warfare through ethical, legal, and operational analysis. Students will examine such challenges as balancing collateral damage and force protection and upholding existing norms in the face of asymmetric challenges. The course focuses on jus in bello issues and considers both the military and humanitarian perspectives. Participants will explore the principles of international humanitarian law and the “Just War” ethic. Reviewing U.S. military operations since 1991, students will investigate how public expectations, military strategies, and technological capabilities affect outcomes on the ground. More broadly, the course considers the extent to which humanitarian restraint is compatible with the successful conduct of war.