Ethical Dilemmas in the Global Defense Industry

Ethical Dilemmas in the Global Defense Industry

Ethical Dilemmas in the Global Defense Industry

By Tobias Vestner and Daniel Schoeni

The defense industry develops, produces, and sells weapons that cause great harm. It operates at the intersection of the public and private sectors, with increased reliance on technology companies. Although such firms exist primarily to serve their host states, they routinely interact with foreign legal systems and diverse cultures. This context creates unique ethical challenges. That being the case, is the defense industry ethically defensible? How should it be regulated? How should it respond to worrisome technological developments such as autonomous weapons systems? How should business be conducted in countries where bribery is the norm? To what extent can this industry's intrinsic ethical problems be overcome? This book addresses such questions, bringing together the diverse perspectives of scholars and practitioners from academia, government service, the military, and the private sector. It aims to inform a discussion about the moral and legal challenges facing the global defense industry and to introduce solutions that are innovative, effective, and practical.

Tobias Vestner, Director of Research and Policy Advice Department and Head of Security and Law Programme, GCSP.

Daniel Schoeni, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Air Force and Professorial Lecturer in Law at George Washington University.

Disclaimer: This publication was originally published on Oxford Unviersty Press website. The views, information and opinions expressed in this publication are the author’s/authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect those of the GCSP or the members of its Foundation Council. The GCSP is not responsible for the accuracy of the information