POLS276

Social Science (SS), Speaking-Intensive

(Law, War and Intelligent Machines: The Laws of War and the History and Use of Cybernetics and Autonomous Military Technologies.) This course is about the changing nature of warfare conducted by the U.S. government and other state actors in the 21st Century. We review international law as it relates to conventional warfare and non-kinetic hostilities such as cybernetic actions between states, along with the political responses. We investigate the history and development of the U.S. military forces after 1940, in conjunction with the development of communication, computational and autonomous technologies. We examine the justification of the use of military force by political speakers and analyze them within a legal and ethical framework. This course integrates international law, international norms and analysis of public policies of the U.S. and other states to provide a framework for the use of military force in the 21st Century. No prerequisites.