Abhor, imagine, abolish.

Abstract

Reviews the book, Abolition of Nuclear Weapons as a Moral Imperative by John Kultgen (2015). This book is a moving tribute to Kultgen's sustained commitment to a vital, ambitious, long-term goal—the complete and effective world-wide abolition of nuclear weapons. As a philosopher, Kultgen (professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Missouri) discusses, in accessible language, the philosophical aspects of nuclear weapons; as a teacher, he shows how there is no short cut to the transformation of human culture; and as an activist, he reports frankly on the brief ups and longer downs of public attention to a matter from which most people, most of the time, look away. The present review essay includes further references on psychological aspects of nuclear weapons issues. Finally, the essay proposes that humanity can achieve its goal of abolition but only after breaking its shell of psychic numbing. At that stage, we would be able to harness our collective imagination and create a peaceful culture, including a nuclear-weapon-free world. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)