Journal Article - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

What Arguments Motivate Citizens to Demand Nuclear Disarmament?

| June 19, 2017

Abstract

Why is the global public so apathetic about nuclear disarmament? To answer this question, this article examines the various arguments made in support of policies meant to rid the world of atomic weapons. They include the immorality of deterrence, its impracticality in a world where the enemy does not behave rationally, and the calamitous consequences of nuclear accidents. The authors argue that the approach with the highest chance of successfully stimulating political activism focuses on the current costs of maintaining nuclear arsenals.

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For Academic Citation:

Harrington, Anne I., Eliza Gheorghe, and Anya Loukianova Fink . “What Arguments Motivate Citizens to Demand Nuclear Disarmament?” Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, June 19, 2017.

The Authors