5 - Historians and Moral Judgments

Summary

The deliberate targeting of Japanese civilians in the firebombing of sixty cities and in the use of the atomic bomb to break morale and compel unconditional surrender raised serious moral issues. But should historians read today’s values back to the Asia Pacific War? There is a longstanding debate among historians over whether it is their place to pass judgment or whether they should maintain a detached and objective position in their work. In this chapter, we see how carpet bombing, targeting of civilians, and finally Hiroshima and Nagasaki were so horrific that it became difficult to maintain moral neutrality. Instead, the main lines of debate and controversy centered on the issue of what standards should be applied. We explore the varieties of moral judgments reached by historians and the norms that should govern the issue.