A Philosophy of Gun Violence

Alan J. Reid, "A Philosophy of Gun Violence"
English | ISBN: 303111003X | 2022 | 212 pages | PDF | 4 MB
This book uses a philosophy of technology to demonstrate that guns are predisposed for an intentional use, making them inherently non-neutral artifacts. This argument rejects the often-cited value neutral thesis and instrumentalist view that "guns don’t kill people; people kill people", and instead, explains the lethality of the gun through the lenses of affordance theory, behavioral design, and choice architecture. Ultimately, this book proposes an ethical and value-sensitive model for gun reform, which embodies the perspective of French philosopher Bruno Latour, who said, "You are different with a gun in your hand; the gun is different with you holding it."