As mankind finds ever more impious ways to kill and maim, some look to non-lethal weapons as a fix. Brian Rappert discusses the technologies involved and the ethics of, for example blinding someone with a laser, leaving them blind forever, versus killing them outright.

Brian Rappert

Part 1 Claims and expectations: what's in a name?; tools of the trade; threats and promises. Part 2 Technologies, contexts and controls: weapons of minimal harm? assessing effects; on to the streets - examining major deployments of non-lethals; controlling evaluations - the prospects for prohibitions. Part 3 Case studies: CS sprays in Britain; gauging electroshock weapons; humanitarian interventions, humanitarian tools?. Conclusions and recommendations.