ATTENTION: The software behind KU ScholarWorks is being upgraded to a new version. Starting July 15th, users will not be able to log in to the system, add items, nor make any changes until the new version is in place at the end of July. Searching for articles and opening files will continue to work while the system is being updated.
If you have any questions, please contact Marianne Reed at mreed@ku.edu .
Questioning Precision: Discourse Ethics and the Recognition of Noncombatants in Drone Warfare
dc.contributor.advisor | Steele, Brent J | |
dc.contributor.advisor | Omelicheva, Mariya | |
dc.contributor.author | Huntington, Terilyn Johnston | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2015-06-17T04:15:10Z | |
dc.date.available | 2015-06-17T04:15:10Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2014-12-31 | |
dc.date.submitted | 2014 | |
dc.identifier.other | http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:13810 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1808/18099 | |
dc.description.abstract | The study of discourse assists scholars in understanding and explaining the ways in which words, utterances, and dialogue impact occurrences within international relations. Jürgen Habermas' discourse ethics situates communicative processes within a context of equitable discourse that, upon reaching consensus between parties, can arrive at just conclusions. Critics believe that power constructs within societies, however, abridge the occurrence of equitable communication, representative of minority and marginalized populations. Thus, on a theoretical level, this thesis seeks to account for the short-comings of Habermasian discourse ethics by placing it into conversation with Axel Honneth's theory of recognition and Judith Butler's theory of grievable life. This theoretical conglomeration allows for the discourses of minority groups to be accounted for within the public sphere of discourse, especially in regard to issues of contemporary military engagement and security. Technological advancements in warfare have produced weapons that are designed to protect soldiers through speed, precision, and the ultimate removal of humans from the battlefield. This focus on casualty aversion has redistributed the risk from soldiers to noncombatants through impersonal delivery systems like Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), prioritizing the lives of soldiers over the lives of noncombatants. Understanding the importance of discourse ethics, this dominant discourse of casualty aversion should be placed into deliberate conversation with subversive discourses that would allow for the voices of noncombatants who have been victimized by drone warfare to be included within the public sphere. Thus, this thesis questions the prevalent utilization of precision-based weaponry that fails to recognize the voices and lives of noncombatants in warfare. | |
dc.format.extent | 72 pages | |
dc.language.iso | en | |
dc.publisher | University of Kansas | |
dc.rights | Copyright held by the author. | |
dc.subject | International relations | |
dc.subject | Political Science | |
dc.subject | Axel Honneth | |
dc.subject | Discourse Ethics | |
dc.subject | Drones | |
dc.subject | Global War on Terror | |
dc.subject | Jurgen Habermas | |
dc.subject | Unmanned Aerial Vehicles | |
dc.title | Questioning Precision: Discourse Ethics and the Recognition of Noncombatants in Drone Warfare | |
dc.type | Thesis | |
dc.contributor.cmtemember | Lewis, Adrian | |
dc.thesis.degreeDiscipline | Political Science | |
dc.thesis.degreeLevel | M.A. | |
dc.rights.accessrights | openAccess |
Files in this item
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
-
Political Science Dissertations and Theses [134]
-
Theses [4088]