Online research in philosophy

Building on an earlier argument that isolationism may well be America's natural state, Schlesinger explains how the apparent rejection of isolationism during the long standoff with the Soviet Union during the Cold War was nothing more than a reaction to what was perceived as a direct and urgent threat to the security of the United States. In the wake of the Cold War's end, the incompatibility between collective international action and conceptions of national interest has highlighted the difficulties of democracies in sending their armies to war, especially those that do not directly threaten national security. While much more can and should be done to enhance the effectiveness of global organizations already in place, what is needed, Schlesinger argues, is both a reexamination of the Wilsonian doctrine of collective security and a greater concentration on preventive diplomacy.

Terrorism, Security and Nationality shows how the concepts and methods of political philosophy can be applied to the practical problems of terrorism, state violence and national security. The book clarifies a wide range of issues in applied political philosophy, including the ethics of war, theories of state and nation, the relationship between communities and nationalisms, and the uneasy balance of human rights and national security. Ethnicity, national identity and the interests of the state, concepts commonly cited to justify terrorist acts, all imply starkly contrasting notions of what constitutes a political community. Paul Gilbert examines the reasons for political violence and the plausibility of such justifications. He investigates notions of terrorism as unjust war and as political crime and concludes by considering the proper response of the state to political violence.

Character issues are of increasing importance in the role of the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) in assessing the national security risk posed by aliens. For example, ASIO assessments underpinned the long-term detention of two Iraqi refugees on Nauru, and the deportation of US activist Mr Scott Parkin. This article considers how ASIO national security assessments are made, whether they constitute a form of character testing, and what accountability mechanisms are in place to challenge such assessments.

The present age has been a witness to a massive amalgamation of cultures, traditions and identities. The spread of people from one area to another has been the trend of the age in search of greener pastures that might provide them with better opportunities in life. The movement also has been prevalent due to the nature of job one is involved with. Human security is not a defensive concept - the way territorial or military security is. It is an integrative concept acknowledging the universal desire of people for self-preservation and self-improvement. The world will not be secure from war and violence if men and women have no security of their individual self. It is the people's security which has come to the forefront over and above the emphasis on territorial and national security. It is being felt that increased safeguards and preventive measures should be in place both at national and global levels to protect the people from the real threat to human security.

This paper identifies two conceptions of security in contemporary concerns over the vulnerability of computers and networks to hostile attack. One is derived from individual-focused conceptions of computer security developed in computer science and engineering. The other is informed by the concerns of national security agencies of government as well as those of corporate intellectual property owners. A comparative evaluation of these two conceptions utilizes the theoretical construct of “securitization,”developed by the Copenhagen School of International Relations.

Introduction: Masao Maruyama -- Analyzing the causes of the fifteen year war -- Creating modern man: the basis of national security -- Establishing political realism: guidance to national security -- Advocating unarmed neutrality -- Defending democracy: a prerequisite of national security -- Conclusion: predicting the second defeat.

This short Comment describes the most important changes to the Exon-Florio CFIUS framework introduced by the National Security Act of 2007 and evaluates the extent to which the updated legislation strikes a reasonable balance between national security concerns and promoting the inflow of foreign capital in the United States. The Comment provides a brief overview of the history of the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS) and discusses the key criticisms that have been levied against the CFIUS review process. The recent amendments to the CFIUS framework are analyzed in light of several emerging realities in the markets for investment and regulation, including the increased visibility of sovereign wealth funds and the greater interplay between the regulatory frameworks of developed countries seeking to attract foreign investment.