Ethics for Disaster addresses the moral aspects of hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, plane crashes, Avian Flu pandemics, and other disasters. Naomi Zack explores how these catastrophes illuminate the existing inequalities in society. By employing the moral systems of utilitarianism, deontology, and virtue ethics to analyze the consequences of recent natural disasters, Zack reveals the special plight of the poor, disabled, and infirm when tragedy strikes. Zack explores the political foundations of social contract theory and dignitarianism and invites readers to rethink the distinction between risk in normal times and risk in disaster. Using both real life and fictional examples, Zack forcefully argues for the preservation of normal moral principles in times of national crisis and emergency, stressing the moral obligation of both individuals and government in preparing for and responding to disaster..

"This welcome work significantly fills a vacuum in disaster studies and emergency management literature. Taking a no-nonsense approach using real-life and fictional examples, Zack highlights the moral and ethical obligations that citizens and governments have in preparing for and responding to the results and aftermath of disasters. . . . This very thought-provoking book may serve as a template to those charged with the responsibility of planning for, responding to, and minimizing the deleterious effect of disasters. It should be required reading for anyone concerned with the ethical and human aspects of disaster planning and emergency management. Scholars, practitioners, and the general public will greatly benefit from reading it. Highly recommended." - CHOICE, December 2009

"Naomi Zack has written an intriguing treatise that challenges conventional thinking about planning for disaster response. Using the language of human rights analysis, she questions why our response to disaster continues to be so problematic." - International Journal Of Intelligence Ethics

"Ethics for Disaster is a very valuable work in that it begins the project of thinking about an ethics for disaster. It also lends itself to use as a teaching text, at least with some additional materials, for an upper-division course on ethics and contemporary issues...[This book contains] some interesting aspects of a common topic searching for an overall architectonic structure to guide the reader to some conclusions." - Journal of Value Inquiry