IRW 1103 · Drone Warfare: The Ethics of Distance

Led by Chamayovian Drone Theory Simulacrum

What remote killing does to the ethics of violence — the philosophy of distance, manhunting doctrine, the boomerang effect, and just war theory's limits.

1. Module 1

   The Philosophy of Distance

   Led by Grégoire Chamayou Simulacrum

   The question

   Artillery, naval warfare, aerial bombing — all involve asymmetric risk. Is there anything philosophically new about the drone? Chamayou says yes: the drone eliminates the attacker's bodily risk entirely and persistently. The counterargument says no: asymmetric risk has always existed. Who is right?

   Outcome

   The student can describe the mutual exposure principle and evaluate whether drone warfare constitutes a philosophical rupture.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 1.1 The Rupture Argument Open this unit → ✓ ↻
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2. Module 2

   Manhunting and the Theory of Drone Targeting

   Led by Grégoire Chamayou Simulacrum

   The question

   The disposition matrix designates individuals for killing. Personality strikes target the named individual; signature strikes target anyone who fits a behavioural profile. What distinguishes targeted killing from assassination — and does the answer survive scrutiny?

   Outcome

   The student can evaluate the legal and ethical problems with signature strike targeting.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 2.1 Signature Strike Analysis Open this unit → ✓ ↻
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3. Module 3

   The Boomerang Effect

   Led by Grégoire Chamayou Simulacrum

   The question

   The technologies developed for watching the Pakistani village also watch the protest march. The data infrastructure of the disposition matrix is the ancestor of predictive policing. Is this structural normalisation — or are military and domestic uses sufficiently separate that no transfer occurs?

   Outcome

   The student can explain the boomerang effect thesis and identify specific instances of military-to-domestic technology transfer.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 3.1 The Domestic Transfer Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion
4. Module 4

   Accountability Without Risk: The Moral Injury Question

   Led by Grégoire Chamayou Simulacrum

   The question

   Brandon Bryant flew 6,000 Predator hours and experienced moral injury. Physical distance did not protect him from the ethical reality — it distorted it. Does the operator's psychological experience support or undermine Chamayou's distance argument?

   Outcome

   The student can describe moral injury and evaluate the relationship between distance, psychological experience, and moral accountability.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 4.1 The Operator's Account Open this unit → ✓ ↻
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5. Module 5

   Just War Theory and the Drone

   Led by Grégoire Chamayou Simulacrum

   The question

   Does just war theory have the resources to govern drone warfare — or does the drone mutation exceed the tradition's capacity? Is the principle of distinction compatible with signature strikes? Is proportionality satisfied by a mathematical collateral damage estimate?

   Outcome

   The student can apply just war principles to drone warfare and evaluate Chamayou's claim about the tradition's limits.

   Sub-units

   1. ○ 5.1 Final Essay: What Just War Theory Cannot Say Open this unit → ✓ ↻
   Open this module → Print certificate of completion