Nuclear Deterrence and the Disarmament Debate
Nuclear deterrence is the theory that possessing nuclear weapons prevents war because their use would be catastrophic for everyone involved (mutually assured destruction). Catholic teaching on deterrence has shifted over time, and the wider disarmament debate weighs religious ideals of peace against states' security-based justifications for keeping such weapons.
Before you start
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Method
- Learn the theory of nuclear deterrence: possessing nuclear weapons is argued to prevent their use, because any attack would trigger devastating retaliation, a state of mutually assured destruction (MAD).
- Learn the main religious objection: nuclear weapons cannot discriminate between combatants and civilians, breaking the discrimination and proportionality principles of Just War theory (link to RS.TD2, RS.TD10) far more severely than conventional weapons.
- Learn that Catholic teaching has changed over time: Pope John Paul II judged deterrence 'morally acceptable' in 1982, but only as a step towards progressive disarmament, while Pope Francis moved further, explicitly condemning even the possession of nuclear weapons from 2017 onwards.
- Learn that many Protestant churches, e.g. the Methodist Church, and historically pacifist groups such as Quakers, actively campaign for unilateral disarmament, drawing on peacemaking teaching such as Matthew 5:9 ('Blessed are the peacemakers').
- Learn the Islamic angle: regulated warfare must avoid harming non-combatants (Qur'an 2:190, 'do not transgress limits'), so many Muslim scholars argue nuclear weapons' indiscriminate nature conflicts with Islamic principles of proportionate, limited conflict, while states, whatever their religious composition, may still pursue deterrence for national security.
- Learn the classic prophetic image used by supporters of disarmament: Isaiah 2:4's vision of nations beating 'their swords into ploughshares' and not training for war anymore.
- Practise weighing the security argument for deterrence (it may have prevented major wars between nuclear powers) against the moral argument against it (the sheer, indiscriminate scale of harm any actual use would cause) in a structured conclusion.
Worked example
Explain two religious objections to the possession of nuclear weapons.
- Identify a first objection: nuclear weapons cannot discriminate between soldiers and civilians, breaking the Just War principle that only combatants should be targeted.
- Develop it: any actual use of a nuclear weapon would cause indiscriminate mass casualties and long-term harm, such as radiation sickness, affecting non-combatants on a scale conventional weapons do not.
- Identify a second objection: Pope Francis has taught since 2017 that even possessing nuclear weapons, not only using them, is morally wrong, a significant development in Catholic teaching.
- Develop it: this goes further than the earlier Catholic position under Pope John Paul II in 1982, which had judged deterrence conditionally acceptable only as a step towards disarmament.
- Combine both points into a complete answer: nuclear weapons are objected to on religious grounds because they cannot discriminate between combatants and civilians, breaking Just War principles, and because current Catholic teaching under Pope Francis rejects even their possession, not only their use.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Q1What does the theory of nuclear deterrence claim?Show answer
Answer: That possessing nuclear weapons prevents war, because any attack would trigger a devastating retaliatory strike (mutually assured destruction).
Q2Which Just War principle do nuclear weapons most seriously break, according to religious critics?Show answer
Answer: Discrimination: the requirement to distinguish between combatants and civilians.
Q3How did Pope Francis's teaching on nuclear weapons, from 2017 onwards, go further than Pope John Paul II's 1982 position?Show answer
Answer: Pope Francis condemned even the possession of nuclear weapons as immoral, while John Paul II had judged deterrence conditionally acceptable only as a step towards disarmament.
Q4According to Isaiah 2:4, what do nations do with their swords in the prophetic vision of peace?Show answer
Answer: Beat them into ploughshares, and stop training for war.
Q5According to Qur'an 2:190, what limit is placed on fighting?Show answer
Answer: Not to 'transgress limits', since 'Allah does not love transgressors'.
Q6Name one Christian denomination or group that actively campaigns for unilateral nuclear disarmament.Show answer
Answer: For example, the Methodist Church, or Quakers.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Religious Studies exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Explain two reasons why some religious believers support nuclear disarmament.
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'Nuclear deterrence has kept the peace, so religious believers should support it.' Evaluate this statement, referring to religious teaching and reaching a justified conclusion.
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Free printable worksheet
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