Distant Intimacy: Space, drones, and just war

Williams, John

doi:10.1017/s0892679414000793

Distant Intimacy: Space, drones, and just war

Williams, John

Authors

Professor John Williams j.c.williams@durham.ac.uk
Professor

Abstract

This article argues that the use of just war theory as the principal framework for ethical assessment of the use of drones for targeted killing is hampered by the absence of a spatial dimension. Drawing on critical political geography, the article develops a concept of “distant intimacy” that explores the spatial characteristics of the relationship between drone deployers and their targets, revealing that the asymmetry of this relationship extends beyond conventional analysis to establish “dronespace” as a place where the autonomy of the target and the possibility of reciprocity are structurally precluded. This extends ethical critique of drone use beyond established concerns and establishes the importance of space and spatiality to the possibility of ethics in a way that just war theory has, to date, been unable to fully appreciate.

Citation

Williams, J. (2015). Distant Intimacy: Space, drones, and just war. Ethics & International Affairs, 29(1), 93-110. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0892679414000793

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Dec 15, 2014
Online Publication Date	Feb 23, 2015
Publication Date	Mar 1, 2015
Deposit Date	Dec 19, 2014
Publicly Available Date	Feb 12, 2015
Journal	Ethics and International Affairs
Print ISSN	0892-6794
Electronic ISSN	1747-7093
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	29
Issue	1
Pages	93-110
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1017/s0892679414000793

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Copyright Statement
Copyright © Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs 2014. This paper has been published in a revised form subsequent to editorial input by Cambridge University Press in 'Ethics and International Affairs' (29: 01 (2015) 93-110) http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=EIA