This is a module framework. It can be viewed online or downloaded as a zip file.

As taught Autumn Semester 2010.

With the possible exception of climate change, weapons of mass destruction are probably the only thing on the planet that could conceivably mean curtains for all of us. Yet Britain has relied on its nuclear arsenal for decades, and other states seem anxious to acquire one. Why do some countries have these things? What, if anything, should we do about them? How should we feel about their spread? These are some of the questions we will examine in this module. The goal is to familiarise you with the policy issues and the theoretical debates underlying them.

Module Code: M13103

Credits: 20

Suitable for study at: Undergraduate level 3

Dr Matthew Rendall, School of Politics and International Relations

Matthew Rendall is Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the University of Nottingham, and holds a PhD in Political Science from Columbia University. His research focuses on large-scale war and peace, including such topics as nuclear deterrence, whether there is a 'separate peace' among democracies, and collective security. Much of his work tests theories of war and peace through historical case studies, often drawing on original historical research. Recently he has also begun writing about intergenerational justice and other topics in environmental philosophy.