War Crimes: Causes, Excuses, and Blame

May Contain Markup

By Matthew Talbert & Jessica Wolfendale

Definition and Causes of War Crimes: The book explores what constitutes war crimes and critiques the situationist view, which attributes war crimes to external pressures like battlefield conditions and military culture.

Dispositional Account: The authors propose an alternative dispositional theory, emphasizing the role of individual character traits and moral agency in the commission of war crimes.

Moral Responsibility: The book argues against excusing perpetrators based on situational pressures, advocating for a theory of responsibility that considers the attitudes and beliefs expressed through their actions.

Prevention and Punishment: It discusses strategies for preventing war crimes, including better military ethics training and understanding the social and moral frameworks that lead to such crimes

Oxford University Press, 2018, 168 pages