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Making Drones to Kill Civilians: Is it Ethical?

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  • Edmund F. Byrne

    (Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis)

Abstract

A drone industry has emerged in the US, initially funded almost exclusively for military applications. There are now also other uses both governmental and commercial (in the US and abroad). Many military drones are still being made, however, especially for surveillance and targeted killings. Regarding the latter, this essay calls into question their legality and morality. It recognizes that the issues are complex and controversial, but less so as to the killing of non-combatant civilians. The government using drones for targeted killings maintains secrecy and appeals to non-traditional justifications. Most scholars who assess these killer drone practices support citizen immunity, either by favoring a modified just war theory that prioritizes civilians’ right to life or by challenging official deviations from applicable laws. They accordingly declare such killing immoral if not a war crime. The manufacturers of these killer drones are not themselves the killers, but they are abetters, i.e., sine qua non facilitators. So, I argue that any company concerned about its corporate social responsibility should cease manufacturing them.

Suggested Citation

  • Edmund F. Byrne, 2018. "Making Drones to Kill Civilians: Is it Ethical?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 147(1), pages 81-93, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:147:y:2018:i:1:d:10.1007_s10551-015-2950-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-015-2950-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Edmund Byrne, 2014. "In Lieu of a Sovereignty Shield, Multinational Corporations Should Be Responsible for the Harm They Cause," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 124(4), pages 609-621, November.
    2. Carroll, Archie B., 1991. "The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: Toward the moral management of organizational stakeholders," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 39-48.
    3. Duane Windsor, 2006. "Corporate Social Responsibility: Three Key Approaches," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(1), pages 93-114, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Zsófia Tóth & Robert Caruana & Thorsten Gruber & Claudia Loebbecke, 2022. "The Dawn of the AI Robots: Towards a New Framework of AI Robot Accountability," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 178(4), pages 895-916, July.

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