ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that terrorism presupposes certain basic and probably universal moral principles, binding upon human beings. It explains terrorism makes no sense unless some moral principles are objective, even universally binding on human beings. Terrorism cannot make sense unless the dilemma has moral significance, that is, unless all alternatives are in fact morally repugnant. A response to effective terrorism amounts to having to decide which is morally worse, violating the rights of innocent human beings or failing to stem future threats to, and sacrifices of, innocent people. The major difficulty in terrorism has been precisely the issue of what to do in the face of the moral dilemma which terrorists create. In the process of attempting to avert terrorist successes, some authorities will disregard the rights of bystanders, even the victims of terrorism. The very systems vulnerable to terrorism, namely, Western liberal democracies, tend to eschew objective moral principles and are indeed exceptionally open–minded and tolerant concerning moral matters.
