Non-Military Justification of Military R and D: Rationality or Rationalisation?

Abstract

Those who advocate high levels of military research and development (R and D) have frequently argued that these efforts further a variety of non-military goals. It is neither unusual nor inappropriate for advocates of any public policy to point out the side-benefits of the policy they support. Such ‘positive externalities’, as economists call them, have long been accepted as relevant to social policy decisions. For example, supporting public education of children by taxing the general population (including those who have no children in the public school system) has been justified by the general social benefits of a more educated citizenry, not just by the value that directly accrues to the students or their families. But such arguments must be viewed with care.