On August 6, 1945, The United States made one of the most disputed dictions in history; was it right to drop a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. History will forever judge President Truman’s decision on whether it was morally right or wrong. Looking at the decision from a philosophical point of view it was morally right to drop the bomb according to utilitarianism, egoism, objectivism, and prescriptivism. The thought that killing hundreds of thousands of people would be moral is incomprehensible, but according to Utilitarianism if an action provides the greatest happiness for the greatest number than it is deemed morally right. During World War II the United states was put in the most profound situation of the entire war. The United States had developed …show more content…
the first atomic bomb and was on the verge of invading Japans home islands. The United States had previously taken a major role in the D-day operation which was the largest amphibious landing in history. According to the D-Day Museum, over 425,000 German and Allied soldiers lost their lives, making it one of bloodiest battles in human History. The United States invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa left a staggering body count of 18,000 dead and 78,000 wounded. The idea of having to invade the home islands of Japans which would end up being larger than D-Day was a lot for the American people to take in. The United States Joint Chiefs of Staff estimated that an amphibious invasion of Japans home islands would result in approximately 1.2 million American Casualties with 267,000 deaths. A later study performed by physicist William Shockley estimated that an invasion of Japan would cost 1.7- 4 million American casualties with 400,000 – 800,000 deaths, and five to ten million Japanese deaths. I can’t even comprehend these numbers led alone imagine the blood bath that would take place. However, the United States just conducted the first successful atomic bomb test in Alamogordo, New Mexico which had a devastating effect on the surrounding area. A weapon of this scale estimated to kill around over 100,000 people. This provided the United States with another option but, it would come at a cost of mostly civilian lives. According to the divine command theory the killing of a civilian would be considered immoral but, during the entirety of the war more civilian lives were lost than soldiers. This would all be deemed immoral according to the divine command theory though shall not kill and throughout the war, this had no effect on anyone during the war. The cost of losing this war would have unthinkable consequences for society. Just imagine that whatever Hitler deemed a threat like for instance the Jewish people he would put them in concentration camps. The results of such an ordeal would leave hundreds of millions of people dead. This led to people changing their philosophical ideals, moving towards a utilitarian mindset where winning the war would result in the greatest happiness for the greatest number. The Decision to drop the atomic bombs on japan fell on the lap of one man, President Harry Truman. From a utilitarian point of view, it would be an easy decision just to drop the atomic bombs on Japan but it wasn’t that simple. The United States had the manpower and resources to invade Japan resulting in a fraction of the number of civilian lives lost. However, the invasion of Japan would result in nearly 2 million Americans casualties and a staggering 4-8 million lives would be lost. This was not something the American people wanted which urged the president to drop the nukes. Truman knew that if he dropped the bombs each person killed or affected will be because of his decision. According to a hypothetical imperative, Truman wants the war to end as soon as possible with the fewest casualties then he would have to drop nuclear bombs on Japan. During World War II, there were over 15 million battle deaths and an astonishing 45 million civilian deaths making it one of the greatest losses of life in human history.
Germany was so focused on winning the war, this meant that civilian lives were just another effect of war. Hitler knew that a weapon of mass destruction was needed if they were going to win the war, so they had their scientists work on developing the atomic bomb. This had a domino effect in the United States, Great Britain, USSR, and Japan; all started atomic bomb programs. It wasn’t until July 16, 1945, that the United States had the first successful atomic bomb test. According to the ideology of prescriptivism, the justification for dropping an atomic bomb is justified because if Germany developed the first atomic bomb there is no doubt in any one’s mind that Hitler would not hesitate in using the bomb against the west. Towards the end of the war in Europe, Hitler became dependent on the development of the atomic bomb. Luckily for the Allies, the creation of German bomb was never completed; making for a much faster defeat over Germany. The same principle would be used if the Japanese had developed the first nuclear bomb and used it against the United
States.
This investigation assesses President Harry Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It will determine whether or not his decision was justified. This investigation will scrutinize the reasons that made Harry Truman feel inclined to drop atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Preventing further casualties along with the desire to end the war are two argumentative points that will be analyzed to determine if they were strong enough to justify the dropping of the atomic bombs. Excerpts from Truman’s memoirs and a variety of different titles were consulted in order to undertake this investigation. Section C will evaluate two sources for their origins purposes values and limitations. The first is a book titled The Invasion of Japan written by John Stakes in 1955. And the second is a book titled Prompt & Utter Destruction written by J. Samuel Walker.
Upon reading “Prompt and Utter Destruction: Truman and the Use of Atomic Bombs Against Japan” by J. Samuel Walker, a reader will have a clear understanding of both sides of the controversy surrounding Truman’s decision to drop atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. The controversy remains of whether or not atomic bombs should have been used during the war. After studying this text, it is clear that the first atomic bomb, which was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, was a necessary military tactic on ending the war. The second bomb, which was dropped on Nagasaki, however, was an unnecessary measure in ensuring a surrender from the Japanese, and was only used to seek revenge.
In discussion of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, one controversial issue has the dropping of the atomic bombs being justified. On the other hand others believe that there were other ways of getting Japan to surrender and it was not justified, the only way we could get Japan to surrender was to invade them. Our strategy was to island hop until we got to Japan. Many more lives were at steak when doing that. Not only would just Americans would die, but a lot of the Japanese would have died as well, and the death toll would have much greater. 199,000 deaths came after the dropping of the atomic bombs. However, many American lives were saved, what the Japanese did to Pearl Harbor, and the treatment of our American soldiers while
We agree that, whatever be one’s judgment of the war in principle, the surprise bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are morally indefensible. The “8 Primary Pros and Cons of Dropping the Atomic Bomb” People also say how Japan was already defeated, concluding why the bombs were unnecessary. Although, many others say that the dropping of the atomic bombs saved their lives, but the debate over the decision to drop the atomic bomb will never be resolved. The war against Japan bestowed the Allies with entirely new problems as they encountered an enemy with utterly unfamiliar tactics.
Should We Have Dropped the Atomic Bomb? The atomic bomb killed many innocent people, but it was necessary to end World War II. After World War II began in 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced the neutrality of the United States. Many people in the United States think that their country should stay out of the war. The people wanted the Allied Forces to have the victory.
The benefits that the bomb had on our society have been invaluable. Permitting the use of the atomic bomb was an atrocious mistake.In John Hersey's book, Hiroshima, he interviews a German priest serving in Japan. This priest, Father Kleinsorge, provides a first hand account of the immorality, justification, and consequences thereof; “The crux of the matter is whether total war in its present form is justifiable even when it s...
Maddox, Robert. “The Biggest Decision: Why We Had to Drop the Atomic Bomb.” Taking Sides: Clashing View in United States History. Ed. Larry Madaras & James SoRelle. 15th ed. New York, NY. 2012. 280-288.
World War II played host to some of the most gruesome and largest mass killings in history. From the start of the war in 1939 until the end of the war in 1945 there were three mass killings, by three big countries on those who they thought were lesser peoples. The rape of Nanking, which was carried out by the Japanese, resulted in the deaths of 150,000 to 200,000 Chinese civilians and POW. A more well-known event was of the Germans and the Holocaust. Hitler and the Nazi regime persecuted and killed over 500,000 Jews. This last country may come as a surprise, but there is no way that someone could leave them out of the conversation. With the dropping of the Atomic bombs the United States killed over 200,000, not including deaths by radiation, in the towns of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and ultimately placed the United States in the same group as the Japanese and the Germans. What are the alternatives other than dropping the two A-bombs and was it right? The United States and President Truman should have weighed their opting a little bit more before deciding to drop both atomic bombs on the Islands of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. In the case of dropping the atomic bombs the United States did not make the right decision. This essay will explain through logic reasoning and give detailed reasons as to why the United States did not make the right choice.
The Atomic Bomb Should Not Have Been DroppedAs President Obama signs new nuclear policy, we are reminded of the longand sordid history of nuclear policy in the United States. We have come a long waysince we decided to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II.It is amazing that we continue debating this initial deployment of nuclear weaponrytoday. The US should not have decided to drop these atomic bombs. This decisionwas morally incorrect and unnecessary. Thousands of people died who did not needto die, and many more became sick from radiation poisoning. The bombs wiped twoentire cities off the map. How can anyone even argue for this in the first place?One argument that was used to support dropping the bomb was that theJapanese forfeited their rights when they aggressively attacked Pearl Harbor andcommitted war crimes against prisoners and the Chinese. However, this argument does not work for a few reasons. First, there are two types of justice in war. There isthe justice for going to war (
To choose whether or not it was morally sound to use the atomic bomb, we must first examine the background as to what circumstances it was dropped under. In 1945, American soldiers and civilians were weary from four years of war, yet the Japanese military was refusing to give up their fight. American forces occupied Okinawa and Iwo Jima and intensely fire bombed Japanese cities. But Japan had an army of 2 million strong stationed in the home islands guarding against Allied invasion. After the completion of the Manhattan Project, For Truman, the choice whether or not to use the atomic bomb was the most difficult decision of his life. First, an Allied demand for an immediate unconditional surrender was made to the leadership in Japan. Although the demand stated that refusal would result in total destruction, no mention of any new weapons of mass destruction was made. The Japanese military commander Hideki Tojo rejected the request for unconditional s...
The dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan were ethical decisions made by President Harry Truman and the United States government. By the time of the atom bomb was ready, the U.S. had been engaged in military conflict for over four years and lost over 400,000 soldiers. Truman claimed, "We would have the opportunity to bring the world into a pattern in which the peace of the world and our civilization can be saved" (Winkler 18). The bomb was aimed at ending the war immediately and avoiding prolonged battle in the Pacific Theater and the inevitable invasion of Japan. President Truman hoped that by showing the Japanese the devastating weapon the U.S. possessed, that the war could be brought ...
These reasons have a plethora of evidence supporting them, as well as evidence disproving the opposing side. The atomic bomb’s impact on the ethics surrounding war and humanity left a significant mark which is still seen today. There was no real reason to have dropped that weapon, and the fact that the United States did is disgraceful to humanity. U.S. General and later President Dwight D. Eisenhower said it best when he stated, “Japan was at that very moment seeking some ways to surrender with a minimum loss of ‘face’... it wasn’t necessary to hit them with that awful thing” (Alperovitz, 1990, p.
On August 6, 1945 the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This was an extremely controversial military strategy in the United States. Was the United States justified in the dropping of the atomic bomb? The U.S. feared the rise of communism and gave aid to any country against it. The U.S. also fought countries threatening the spread communism. One of these countries was Japan. We began a harsh and brutal war against Japan and against communism. This war was killing many soldiers and Japan was not backing down. President Truman decided to use the atomic bomb when things were getting worse. The decision to use the atomic bomb was a difficult one and many people wonder if it was the right choice.
Another way to interpret utilitarianism is to have the positives of the outcome outweigh the negatives. In that sense, it is the ends of the act that justify the means and not the intent of the act itself. When President Truman made the decision to drop nuclear warheads on Japan, he did so with the intention that he would be saving more lives in the long run than if the current style of warfighting were to continue. Therefore, supporters of President Truman’s decision to deploy the atomic bombs during the Second World War defend his utilitarian
Throughout the history of human civilization, wars resulted in a relatively low casualty count compared to the future. World War II was a major turning point. The creation of the nuclear bomb was a major development in the way wars were fought. The nuclear bomb was first developed by the United States in fear of the Nazis making it before them (History.com Staff). This bomb had the capability to mass murder tens of thousands of people instantly, and many more over time through harmful radiation poisoning (History.com Staff). While it may have expedited the war with Japan, the development and use of the nuclear bomb by the United States Military on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was unjustified because of how it sparked the age of nuclear weapons and