M
arch
2018
WPE
Portfolio
Reading
Set
Q
uestion
Question for the
March 2018
WPE Portfolio Reading Set
The Ethics of Drone Warfare
(Due by 4:00 PM on
Friday, March 16
, at CC
–
1
–
13
00
)
Alexander Moseley explains the
p
rinciples
of “Just War Theory,” which “is concerned with ethically
justifying war and the forms that warfare may or may not take.”
Another framework for thinking about
war is presented by
John Dewey
, who
argues that “anteced
ent and abstract principles cannot be assigned
to justify the use of force,” and instead “The criterion of value lies in the relative efficiency and economy
of the expenditure of force as a means to an end.”
President Barack Obama, i
n his May 23, 2013 spe
ech
to the National Defense University, explained the
ethical and practical reasons
for his administration’s use
of drones to conduct “targeted action against al Qaeda and its associated forces.
”
However
, Harry van der
Linden, using principles of just war theory,
argues that
the use of drones
for targeted attacks cannot be
justified
.
Question:
Hypothetically, i
f a future president
—
using
a rationale similar to that used by the
Obama
administration
—
w
ere to initiate
targeted or signature drone attacks as part of a counter
–
terrorism
p
rogram
, would
that decision be justified
?
Why or why not?
Instructions
:
This is a question about a hypothetical situation, and you
m
ay
use Obama
’
s speech as an
example of
a
justification that
c
ould
be offered by a future president.
You
m
ay
consider whether
s
uch
attacks
w
ould be
ethically justified (according to just war theory), and whether they
w
ould be
an
efficient
and economical means to an end (according to John Dewey’s pragmatism argument).
You
m
ay
agree
and/or disag
ree with
Obama
’
s and
van der Linden’s argument
s
,
with reasons.
You must use materials
from all
four
of the readings in this reading set
, by quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing them to assist
you in explaining
and supporting your argument.
In addition, define and
employ key terms that seem
to be central to the arguments of your sources and, therefore, to your argument as well. Among these
key terms are:
E
thics;
j
ust
cause; l
ast
resort; p
roper
authority; r
ight
intention; c
hance
of
success
/reasonable succes
s
; p
roportional
; p
ower/
energy; c
oercive
force; v
iolence
.
You must attribute
to its source any material that you summarize, quote, or paraphrase.
B
ase your
essay on t
he information contained in the set of readings, not on your own
life events
, on readings
from outside the reading set
, or on courses you have taken.
Your ideas should be the most important
feature of your essay, but they should be ideas that develop from
your work with the readings in this
reading set.
Plagiarism in a portfolio, whether it is in the new essay or in one of the supporting essays, will be
treated in the manner as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct, which can
be downloaded in PDF
form
at:
https://www.umb.edu/life_on_campus/policies/community/code
.
The consequences of violating these policies are serious and may include suspension or
expulsion.
M
arch
2018
WPE
Portfolio
Reading
Set
Table of Contents
University of
Massachusetts at Boston
Colleges of Education and Human Development, Honors, Liberal Arts,
Nursing and Health Sciences, Public and Community Service, Science and Mathematics, and
the School for the Environment
March 2018
Writing Proficiency Evaluation (WPE): Portfolio
Portfolio Reading Set:
The Ethics of Drone Warfare
The portfolio is due on
Friday, March 16
, no later than 4:00PM
In the Writing Proficiency Office, CC
–
1
–
1300
Table of Contents
1.
Obama, Barack. “
Remarks by
the President at the National Defense University
.”
The White
House
, The United States Government, 23 May 2013,
https://obamawhite
house.archives.gov/the
–
press
–
office/2013/05/23/remarks
–
president
–
national
–
defense
–
university
.
2.
Moseley, Alexander. “Just War Theory.” The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Web.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/jus
twar/
3.
Dewey, John. “Force and Coercion.” International Journal of Ethics, Vol. 26, No. 3 (Apr.,
1916), pp. 359
–
367 Published by: The University of Chicago Press Stable URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2377050 Accessed: 05
–
02
–
2018 17:33 UTC
4.
Van der Linden, Harry. “Drone Warfare and Just War Theory.” Chapter 9 of
Drones and
Targeted Killing: Legal Moral, and Geopolitical Issues
, ed. Marjorie Cohn (Northampton, Mass:
Olive Branch Press, 2015). Available from digitalcommons.butler.edu/facsch_pa
pers/651/.
Articles reprinted with permission
Notes:
Your portfolio must contain an essay that is at least five (5) full pages
(double spaced in 10 or 12
point type) that answers the question above;
at least 15 pages of supporting papers,
each one attached
to a completed Certification Form; and a completed Portfolio Submission Form.
The exception to the 15
–
page supporting
–
paper requirement
only applies to a new transfer
student. If
you are a transfer student who has not yet completed your
second semester, then you may submit a
portfolio that has either two or three supporting papers totaling 10 full pages.
