Karl Jaspers and the Role of Conversion in the Nuclear Age

Gregory J. Walters is an Assistant Professor of Theology at Saint Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas.

Walters' book...is the first to be devoted specifically to the analysis of a single philosopher's understanding of nuclear weapons...Walters' analysis shows the rather limited validity of the standard interpretation of Jaspers' view on nuclear weapons. And in his critique of Jaspers, Walters has provided fresh insights into the philosophical and religious bases for overcoming the image of the enemy... Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review Few commentators on Jaspers bring together these various themes and concerns in a more scholarly and productive manner...And while Jaspers was and is one of the few major 20th century thinkers to address directly the implications of atomic warfare, Walters' study is more than a book about 'the Bomb.' It is a book which addresses an entire spectrum of considerations bearing on Jaspers' moral philosophy... -- Alan Olson, Department of Philosophy, Boston University Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review The book is a much-needed addition to the ongoing debate on nuclear weapons. It is well documented... Ethics: An International Journal of Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy The book is a much-needed addition to the ongoing debate on nuclear weapons. It is well documented... Ethics: An International Journal of Social, Political, and Legal Philosophy Walters' book...is the first to be devoted specifically to the analysis of a single philosopher's understanding of nuclear weapons...Walters' analysis shows the rather limited validity of the standard interpretation of Jaspers' view on nuclear weapons. And in his critique of Jaspers, Walters has provided fresh insights into the philosophical and religious bases for overcoming the image of the enemy... Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review Few commentators on Jaspers bring together these various themes and concerns in a more scholarly and productive manner...And while Jaspers was and is one of the few major 20th century thinkers to address directly the implications of atomic warfare, Walters' study is more than a book about 'the Bomb.' It is a book which addresses an entire spectrum of considerations bearing on Jaspers' moral philosophy... -- Alan Olson, Department of Philosophy, Boston University Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review