Counterterrorism as an ethical challenge IS fighters in January, 2014 in the province of Anbar in Iraq © picture-alliance/AP Terroranschlag auf das World Trade Center in New York, am 11. September 2001. © AP 9/11 marks a, if not the, defining moment in the history of terrorism and was understood worldwide as a dramatic expression of the new character of global conflict. Terrorism is just as destructive as it is unsettling as it departs from the “rules” of classical conflict; for example, that through terrorist attacks, non-combatants by definition must be harmed. This and other characteristics of terrorism lead to the dominant claim that, from an ethical perspective, terrorism is highly problematic, if not completely reprehensible. Combatting terrorism has consequently become increasingly one of the utmost priorities in international politics in recent years. Not just terrorism, but also counterterrorism is accompanied by considerable moral questions. Terrorism is therefore not just a political or legal challenge but, in many regards, an ethical one. Terrorism presents not just one ethical challenge, which crosses many moral boundaries and the countering of which is also often morally strained, but also presents a challenge for ethics itself as it pushes the conventional scope of ethical analysis to its limits. The project deals with the multiplicity of ethical challenges presented by terrorism. The main aim of the project is to discuss the so-called definition problem in terrorism research and to find a specific “semantic” of terrorism. In a second step, the project will elaborate on the many facets of the ethical problematic in the context of terrorism and counterterrorism. The following questions (among others) are the focus of the research: “Which ethical boundaries must be adhered to when fighting terrorism?” “How effective are military measures against terrorism?” “Can Just War Theory be used at all in cases of complex, transnational and non-state violence?” “Are prevention measures a possible effective counterterrorism tool?” Furthermore, media study and discourse analytical studies will be taken into account as the perception and judgment of terrorism and counter terrorism strategies are inevitably influenced by how they are presented in the media. This is also accompanied by many ethical issues. In the last stage of the project, the findings from this critical evaluation should be brought into contact with ecclesial considerations of terrorism and counterterrorism. The project aims to closely analyse the standpoints from the “Bischofswort”: Terrorism as an Ethical Challenge. A recommendation for the revision of the church’s standpoint should follow from these considerations. Finally, it should also generally be determined what additional value the Christian peace ethics tradition has for the ethical analysis of terrorism and counterterrorism and which role the church can play for long-term prevention and combatting of terrorism. Project Supervisor Prof. Dr. Hajo Schmidt
