An inquiry into the link between ethics and the formation of American foreign policy is most effectively begun by looking at specific historical cases familiar to the student, and/or at historic events actually taking place during the current semester. Three such cases of special urgency for Americans will be analyzed: (1) The still controversial decision by Harry Truman to use a largely unknown but ominous new weapon, the atom bomb, against the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945; (2) The American war in Vietnam, especially between 1961 and 1968, the Kennedy and Johnson years; and (3) The ongoing war in Iraq, undertaken three years ago by the United States, even though members of the United Nations Security Council had proposed a resolution to initiate a four-month intensive, countrywide, armed inspection for weapons of mass destruction. The course will use the literature of criticism, historical debate, and ethical analysis to examine these issues.