Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2023

Publication Information

37 J. Ethics & Int'l Affs. 287 (2023).

Abstract

The ongoing debate over the law and ethics of lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) reflects two very different perspectives. One sees the development of such weapons as an essential part of national security that depends on a strong military in possession of the latest weapons technology. If legal or ethical norms impede staying ahead in the race for new weapons, those norms need to be reinterpreted or modified. The other perspective maintains that security depends first and foremost on robust respect for legal principles that are derived from fundamental moral principles. Such principles are not subject to reinterpretation or modification. The proper role for military force is defending the rule of law, not superseding it.

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Abstract from introduction.

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