{"product_id":"9781041291749","title":"War, Pacifism, and Deterrence: A Pragmatist-Transcendental Perspective","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn our troubled times of global conflict, philosophical reflection on war and peace has never been more urgent. This distinctive contribution to the ethics of war combines pragmatism with Kantian-inspired transcendental philosophy to offer fresh insights into age-old questions of when, if ever, war can be ethically acceptable.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSami Pihlström argues that both traditional just war theory and pacifism function as forms of \u003ci\u003e\"secular theodicy\"\u003c\/i\u003e, which justify innocent suffering for supposed greater goods. Moving beyond these approaches, he develops a meliorist framework that refuses both naive optimism and fatalistic pessimism about human conflict. The book examines three critical areas: the problem of sacrificing innocents in war, the ethics of nuclear deterrence in our post-World War II world, and the philosophy of history that shapes how we understand ourselves as a political community.  Central to this analysis is the concept of defending the \u003ci\u003e\"transcendental 'us'\"\u003c\/i\u003e-not merely a contingent nation-state, but the very conditions that make ethical and political community possible. Drawing on thinkers from William James to Raimond Gaita, this work offers a philosophically rigorous yet accessible exploration of what it means to defend civilization itself against existential threats, ensuring that those who die in such defense \"shall not have died in vain.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWar, Pacifism, and Deterrence \u003c\/i\u003ewill appeal to researchers and graduate students interested in the philosophy of war and peace, pragmatism, and transcendental philosophy.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Taylor \u0026 Francis","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47891812450545,"sku":"9781041291749","price":33.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/shop.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781041291749","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble","version":"1.0","type":"link"}