Nuclear Energy, World Peace, and Ethical Dilemmas: An Analysis

This assignment delves into the ethical considerations surrounding the use of nuclear energy. It begins by analyzing a deductive argument about world peace, putting it in standard form, and identifying the overall conclusion and sub-conclusions. The assignment then requires the provision of a counter-example to the argument, followed by a description of two problems with the argument's support, focusing on reasoning errors. The analysis includes real-world examples such as the Cold War, the Iran-Israel conflict, and the role of countries like Japan, France, and the Scandinavian nations that use nuclear power for ethical purposes. The assignment also touches upon the complexities of international relations, power dynamics, and the challenges of ensuring the ethical use of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes such as electricity generation versus its potential for destructive use. The student has used sources like Khan (2017), Cheng (2017), Mohseni (2015), and Omri et al (2015) to support his arguments and provide evidence.

Running head: NOBLE USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
NOBLE USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1NOBLE USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
According to Khan (2017), it was witnessed in the period of cold war that amassing of
nuclear weapons had actually caused both the power blocs, USSR and USA to cone on the verge
of a war with each other. That the war did not break out was indeed quite fortunate or else the
world would have witnessed another episode of bloodshed and that would have been way
deadlier than the Second World War itself. In the international sphere, realism explains that the
countries go on an armament race just to ensure that there is no unfavorable balance of power.
History has borne witness to the fact that countries having nuclear weapons have been the ones
to carry out offensive attacks, while the ones to be devoid of it has been subjected to aggression
from other nations possessing them. The classic example that can be given in this regard is that
of United States of America dropping atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan (Khan
2017).
However, this can be countered as well. Not all nations who possess nuclear
power attack other nations. Countries like Japan, France and the Scandinavian nation use nuclear
power for ethical purposes (Cheng 2017). They use it for the purpose of generating electricity
and power which is renewable and a better alternative to thermal power generated electricity. It
is affordable and at the same time quite environment friendly. The nations mentioned have never
used nuclear power to attack any other nation to fulfill their political gains (Omri et al 2015).
Hence it is possible to use nuclear power in an ethical manner and not for destructive purposes.
That depends upon the country and their foreign policy approach. Some nations have even taken
steps to destroy their nuclear weapons for the sake of peace. Such examples are worth emulation.
In this section two problems with regard to the supporting argument shall be provided. In
the contemporary period the example of nuclear rivalry between Iran and Israel can be cited to
show that the realist expansion of ensuring that the balance of power remains intact is still

2NOBLE USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
relevant. However, such examples are not the ones which is worthy of being followed, given the
fact that they are destructive examples. Ayatollah Syed Ali Khamenei had only several occasion
made it clear that Iran shall ensure the destruction of Israel. Anti Israel rhetoric had been quite
popular when Mahmoud Ahmedinejad had been the President of Iran, and he had embarked upon
full fledged show of power to demonstrate that Iran possesses nuclear weapons and can retaliate
if needed (Mohseni 2015).
The second problem concerns with the involvement of USA. Alarmed by that another
nuclear power, and a long time enemy of Iran, USA had imposed all sanctions possible on Iran to
ensure that the country is forced to abide by the desire of USA to curtail the powers of Iran. Iran
had on several occasions made it clear that the nuclear facilities in the country shall not be used
for destructive purposes, and it shall only be used for ethical purposes (Mohseni 2015). Yet the
justification provided by Iran have had no effect on USA to change her foreign policy approach
of marginalizing Iran as much as possible. That is quite unfair since USA herself is a nuclear
power and her forbiddance to other nations to embark upon nuclearization holds no ground.

3NOBLE USE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY
References
Cheng, J. ed., 2017. Biomass to renewable energy processes. CRC press.
Khan, S., 2017. Nuclear Proliferation Dynamics in Protracted Conflict Regions: A Comparative
Study of South Asia and the Middle East. Routledge.
Mohseni, P. ed., 2015. Iran and the Arab World after the Nuclear Deal: Rivalry and
Engagement in a New Era. Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard
Kennedy School.
Omri, A., Mabrouk, N.B. and Sassi-Tmar, A., 2015. Modeling the causal linkages between
nuclear energy, renewable energy and economic growth in developed and developing countries.
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 42, pp.1012-1022.