| Author: | Elm, N. |
| Title: | The business of unethical weapons |
| Journal: | Business Ethics
1998 : JAN, VOL. 7:1, p. 25-29 |
| Index terms: | BUSINESS ETHICS ARMAMENTS INDUSTRY ARMS CONTROL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT WAR |
| Language: | eng |
| Abstract: | With the inevitability of war comes the inevitable use of weapons. The aim of the war is to conquer, not to maximise injury and suffering. Weapons manufacturers have been designing and manufacturing products to supply the market, and justify their activities by arguing that they are supplying a need for defence rather than offensive use. The defence industry's market is progressively shrinking and its players are getting increasingly concentrated, which has made profitability more difficult. Key to survival is product innovation. It is ethically right to reduce the sufferings that happen as a result of war by limiting the creation of obviously deadly weapons, and by policing of the use of "unethical" weapons according to international humanitarian law. |
SCIMA