War and Delusion A Critical Examination

War and Delusion offers a fresh look at just war theory, which has dominated normative thought about war for centuries. This work examines the cultural milieu in which the just war paradigm arose and asks whether 'just war' rationalizations today constitute sound justifications or function rather as pro-military propaganda. By delving beneath the surface of the official stories written by victors to examine war's real effectsmoral, psychological, and physicalupon both the perpetrators and the victims, War and Delusion reveals how the practice of modern war contradicts the most basic values and principles of modern Western democracies.

Laurie Calhoun is the author of Philosophy Unmasked: A Skeptic's Critique and many essays on war and on film.