with a Annotated Bibliography for the proposal
20170418012837the_future_of_warfare.docx
20170418020449workscited.docx
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The Future of Warfare: How Technology has been Weaponized for War
For my essay, I would like to cover as a topic the weaponization of technology throughout history
and what the future of this trend might look like. When the power of nuclear fission was
harnessed, I doubt that the scientific community was eager to witness its destructive powers in
action. Though it was time for war, the purpose of scientific advancement has never been to
seek out the creation of weapons of mass destruction. Yet, the division of the atom was turned
into the weapon almost as soon as it was first done. There is no lack of merit in managing to
achieve such a feat, but it is certainly a dark trend that has manifested itself throughout the
history of the human race. Therefore, I would like to craft an essay, which seeks to present
different explanations and predictions for this phenomenon through the form of a critical essay.
Aided by various sources, my analysis will set to explore a topic that I had yet to consider fully.
During the research, I expect to cover two major points. First, provide a bit introduction into the
history of warfare, how technological advancements have been introduced into it. Throughout
history, nations have often engaged in war; nations have often found themselves in a constant
course of creating of new weaponry or improving on already established armaments to fulfill
their war efforts. At times, breakthrough technologies, which may not have risen with the
explicit purpose of being used as tools for warfare, but have, nonetheless, been used for this
purpose. There were two articles, in particular, which served as inspiration for my thesis.
Brooking & Singer’s “War Goes Viral,” first and foremost, made me think about how something
as innocuous as social media could be used as a tool for warfare. Though a Facebook post might
not be as powerful as an atomic bomb, nor be employed in the same manner or for the same
purpose, social media has become increasingly relevant in various social movements. Though it
was not the purpose of its creation, it now aids in the propagation of political information, the
organization of protests and strikes. Then, when reading “The Future of Getting Arrested” by
Leon Neyfakh, it is hard not to notice the importance that technological advances have on the
realization of the future it proposes. These two articles combined, led me to question: Why have
we used technological and scientific advancement for warfare? What motivates nations to
engage in this practice? And, what does this mean for our future?
To write this essay, I have divided my workload into two parts: research and writing. Though, I
should note that I plan to write a short text, one or two pages in length, with the main themes
and topics that I seek to engage in the essay. I know, for example, that I would like to include
some information about the creation of the atomic bomb, given its importance in contemporary
warfare, but finding the proper sources might be difficult given the extensive amount of work
that has been written with them as a topic. Therefore, I would like to limit my queries and drive
the focus of my essay in the form of a written, personal, brainstorming session.
After I organize my thoughts, the two main sections of the work would need to be completed.
Finding proper, valid sources on which to rely on and then reading them to integrate their
information into my findings are imperative objectives in the crafting of a well-rounded essay. I
plan to rely mostly on the Internet for the acquisition of my sources, which might make this
process a bit trickier. However, I know there are websites where peer-sourced articles can be
accessed, like JSTOR or Project Muse. Most of my literature will most likely come from these
sources, with exceptions to certain magazines or publications with strict quality control. Since
the sources will most likely be packed with data, I plan to write as many notes as necessary to
fully understand their content. Finally, the essay must be written, incorporating my personal
analysis and the information found in the sources. Within the writing process for this essay, I
plan to include the steps of proofreading, editing, and re-writing. Normally, I rely on at least the
making of, at least, two drafts to reach a final paper. However, given the length of the work, I
might rely more on various revisions than various rewrites. Though, at least one will be done for
the sake of quality and precision.
“Robotics: Ethics of artificial intelligence.” Nature News. Nature Publishing Group, n.d. Web. 17
Apr. 2017.
“The weaponization of everything: Globalization’s dark side.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, n.d.
Web. 17 Apr. 2017.
Fearon, James D. “Rationalist Explanations for War.” International Organization, vol. 49, no. 3,
1995, pp. 379–414., www.jstor.org/stable/2706903.
Hacker, Barton C. “Military Institutions, Weapons, and Social Change: Toward a New History of
Military Technology.” Technology and Culture, vol. 35, no. 4, 1994, pp. 768–834.,
www.jstor.org/stable/3106506.
Paarlberg, Robert L. “Knowledge as Power: Science, Military Dominance, and U.S. Security.”
International Security, vol. 29, no. 1, 2004, pp. 122–151., www.jstor.org/stable/4137549.
Sagan, Scott D. “The Perils of Proliferation: Organization Theory, Deterrence Theory, and the
Spread of Nuclear Weapons.” International Security, vol. 18, no. 4, 1994, pp. 66–107.,
www.jstor.org/stable/2539178.
Sagan, Scott D. “Why Do States Build Nuclear Weapons?: Three Models in Search of a Bomb.”
International Security, vol. 21, no. 3, 1996, pp. 54–86., www.jstor.org/stable/2539273.
Zach Musgrave and Bryan W. Roberts. “Humans, Not Robots, Are the Real Reason Artificial
Intelligence Is Scary.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 14 Aug. 2015. Web. 17 Apr. 2017.
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