Self-defense

Killing and harming others are paradigmatic wrongs. And yet there is at least one intuitive exception to this prohibition—namely, killing or harming in self-defense, or in defense of others. Consider: Murder: Attacker is culpably trying to kill Victim because he is jealous of Victim’s success. Victim can save his own life only by lethally throwing a grenade at Attacker. With the exception of strict pacifists, there is broad consensus in morality and law that defensive harm can be permissible in cases like this. However, as we shall see, it is surprisingly difficult to explain the grounds and limits of this permission