The Ethics of Destruction: Norms and Force in International Relations

Ward Thomas finds that this "anything goes" view is demonstrably wrong. It neither reflects how most people talk about the use of force in international relations nor describes the way national leaders actually use military force. Events such as those in Europe during World War Two, in the Persian Gulf War, and in Kosovo cannot be understood, he argues, until we realize that state behavior, even during wartime, is shaped by common understandings about what is ethically acceptable and unacceptable.

Thomas makes extensive use of two cases -- the assassination of foreign leaders and the aerial bombardment of civilians -- to trace the relative influence of norms and interests. His insistence on interconnections between ethical principle and material power leads to a revised unde

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