The Alternatives to War

Bibliographic Data

ID23748412
AuthorsJames Pattison (0000-0002-6938-2321, corresponding author)
Year2018
Publication date2018-07-19
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenueAlternatives to War (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/oso/9780198755203.001.0001
OpenAlexW2904832397
ISBN9780198755203
LanguageEN
Citations received8

If states are not to go to war, what should they do instead? In The Alternatives to War: From Sanctions to Non-violence , James Pattison considers the case for the alternatives to military action to address mass atrocities and aggression. He covers the normative issues raised by measures ranging from comprehensive economic sanctions, diplomacy, and positive incentives, to criminal prosecutions, non-violent resistance, accepting refugees, and arming rebels. For instance, given the indiscriminateness of many sanctions regimes, are sanctions any better than war? Should states avoid ‘megaphone diplomacy’ and adopt more subtle measures? What, if anything, can non-violent methods such as civilian defence and civilian peacekeeping do in the face of a ruthless opponent? Is it a serious concern that positive incentives can appear to reward aggressors? Overall, Pattison provides a comprehensive account of the ethics of the alternatives to war. In doing so, he argues that the case for war is weaker and the case for many of the alternatives is stronger than commonly thought. The upshot is that, when reacting to mass atrocities and aggression, states are generally required to pursue the alternatives to war rather than military action. Pattison concludes that this has significant implications for pacifism, Just War Theory, and the responsibility to protect doctrine.

Economics · Law and economics · Political science · Sanctions · Economic Sanctions and International Relations · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · Law

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