Security
A Philosophical Investigation

Presents a philosophical approach to the concept of 'security', and offers practical guidance to help states better allocate resources (time, effort, money, talent) better to various security problems.

David A. Welch (Author)

9781009270106, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 25 August 2022

294 pages
23.5 x 15.7 x 2.2 cm, 0.58 kg

'David Welch has produced a clearly written, cogently argued, politically radical, and utterly compelling exploration of the meaning of security. He makes the case for extending it beyond the physical protection of borders and people to protection of the ecosphere in which humanity resides, and the cultures and identities that give life meaning. The book foregrounds post-material sensibilities that ought to guide foreign policy and the study of international relations.' Richard Ned Lebow, Professor of International Political Theory, King's College London

How do we know when we are investing wisely in security? Answering this question requires investigating what things are worth securing (and why); what threatens them; how best to protect them; and how to think about it. Is it possible to protect them? How best go about protecting them? What trade-offs are involved in allocating resources to security problems? This book responds to these questions by stripping down our preconceptions and rebuilding an understanding of security from the ground up on the basis of a common-sense ontology and an explicit theory of value. It argues for a clear distinction between objective and subjective security threats, a non-anthropocentric understanding of security, and a particular hierarchy of security referents, looking closely at four in particular-the ecosphere, the state, culture, and individual human beings. The analysis will be of interest not only to students and scholars of International Relations, but also to practitioners.

Introduction
1. The meaning of 'security'
2. What is worth securing, and why?
3. Ecospheric security
4. State security
5. Cultural security
6. Human security
Conclusion.

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS], Social & political philosophy [HPS]