Handbook

Students are invited to study and discuss various questions concerning nuclear weapons, and the more general problem of preventing war. We look at the international political system, warfare and the arms race. We ask how a nuclear bomb actually works, and what its effects are likely to be. The associated issues of nuclear safeguards and the nuclear power industry are treated briefly. We study nuclear strategies, and then review attempts to control nuclear arms, particularly the Non Proliferation Treaty. We discuss institutions of collective security aimed at preserving peace, including the European Union and the United Nations. Finally, we discuss steps towards improved governance at the global level, through which we may eventually remove the threat of nuclear weapons entirely.