Rhetorics of the Biological Weapons :Paradigm: An Outlook on the Normative Perspective of Biological Weapons

Author

• Molly Del Santo

Date of Award

12-2007

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Degree Name

BS

Department

Biology

Faculty Mentor

Robert Coleman

Abstract

The biological weapons paradigm, a system of discourses, constructs consensus in the United States about how Americans perceive biological weapons and, thus, ultimately biological agents. This thesis defines and analyzes the biological weapons paradigm, particularly focusing on how it is shaped by the language used in treaties, by visual representations in popular culture, and by reactions to contemporary medical concerns such as the current stockpiles of smallpox. This thesis also examines how indirect situations-for instance, the September 11^th terrorist attacks-are incorporated by the biological weapons paradigm, creating the perception that Americans live on the brink of a biological weapons attack. This attack, in the logic of the paradigm, is halted by political and societal will through moral and ethical considerations that have provided a normative standard enforcing the non-use of biological weapons.

Recommended Citation

Del Santo, Molly, "Rhetorics of the Biological Weapons :Paradigm: An Outlook on the Normative Perspective of Biological Weapons" (2007). Digitized Honors Theses (2002-2017). 100.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/honors_theses-boundprint/100