The 20th annual Symposium will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2009.

Nuclear Weapons as Peace Weapons: The Argument for Controlled Proliferation
Norris 104, 3:15 PM

Matt  Baciak,   '09 73
   Majors: Philosophy, Political Science
   Hometown: Canton, MI

Sponsor(s): Gene Cline, Andrew Grossman, Geoffrey Cocks
Support:  

Abstract: 
Many would argue that to stop the threat of nuclear war we must try to get rid of all the nuclear devices and destroy them. This paper will argue to the contrary. I contend that by increasing the number of nuclear nations that the cost of going to war would be so high that no nation would choose to launch a nuclear weapon. This is based upon the precepts established by John Mearsheimer, Kenneth Waltz, and other structural neo-realists who believe the solution to international security is a deterrence model based upon rational choice theory. This, coupled with Nina Tannenwald’s theory of a nuclear taboo would create a status quo among the nations of the world due to the fact that no nation would dare upset this balance because of the fear that doing so would entail a cost too high to bear; namely a nuclear exchange. Therefore, by increasing the number of nuclear weapons, and nuclear nations, we will be promoting and ensuring peace.

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