Description
Book SynopsisPartly Cloudy: Ethics in War, Espionage, Covert Action, and Interrogation explores a number of wrenching ethical issues and challenges faced by military and intelligence personnel. It provides a robust and practical approach to analyzing ethical issues in war and intelligence operations, and applies careful reasoning to issues of vital importance today, not only for soldiers, intelligence professionals, and policy makers, but also for the citizens they serve and protect.This new edition has been updated throughout and includes new contents, to deal with critical issues such as torturing detainees, using espionage to penetrate terrorist cells, mounting covert actions to undermine hostile regimes, practicing euthanasia on the battlefield as mercy-killing, or using targeted killings as a means to fight insurgencies. Partly Cloudy provides an excellent introduction to the field for students, instructors, and practitioners who are interested in the ethical challenges faced by public servant
Trade ReviewOnce again Perry has provided an ethicist's insights into the study of warfare's uglier aspects. This new edition updates the case studies and vignettes that make this reference so valuable. Perry transports the context of espionage, atrocities, assassination, and torture from medieval times into the 21st century, and his new chapter on battlefield euthanasia is especially compelling. He disabuses us of the delusion that dirty deeds are purely attributable to the demonic enemy and forces us to face the darker side of our common humanity. This book belongs in the hands, minds, and hearts of military leaders and civilian policymakers everywhere! -- G. K. Cunningham, Associate Provost, U.S. Army War College
Dr. Dave Perry has written a wide-ranging and engaging examination of ethical issues involved in war, espionage, intelligence gathering, recruiting and handling of spies, cyberwarfare and more. Unlike many more conventional ‘just war’ volumes, Perry skillfully and knowledgeably leads the reader into issues rarely examined in the literature. This is an invaluable contribution to the field. -- Martin L. Cook, Admiral James Bond Stockdale Chair of Professional Military Ethics (Emeritus), U.S. Naval War College; Distinguished Visiting Professor of Philosophy, U.S. Air Force Academy
This book has now become a classic in military ethics. Its immense virtue is its realistic recognition of the intrinsic ambiguity and contestability of ethics, especially military ethics. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a book that combines careful ethical analysis with subtle application of ethical concepts in the context of military and intelligence operations in all their variety. -- James Connelly, Professor of Politics, School of Law and Politics, University of Hull
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Chapter 1: An Introduction to Ethical Reasoning Chapter 2: Comparative Religious Perspectives on War Chapter 3: Just and Unjust War in Shakespeare's Henry V Chapter 4: Anticipating and Preventing Atrocities in War Chapter 5: Battlefield Euthanasia: Should Military Mercy-Killings Be Allowed? Chapter 6: Secret Intelligence and American Democracy Chapter 7: The KGB: CIA’s Traditional Adversary Chapter 8: Espionage Chapter 9: Covert Action Chapter 10: Targeted Killing Chapter 11: Interrogation Epilogue: On Peacemaking About the Author Index
