Abstract
This article explores how the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 not only marked a transformative moment in military and political history but also set a lasting precedent for modern global risk. By examining the implications of Hiroshima, this paper will delve into how the initial decision to use nuclear force instigated a high-stakes period of unprecedented risk management that extends to today's geopolitics, nuclear proliferation, and even international policy on climate and technology. This article will argue that the atomic history of Hiroshima established the world’s first encounter with existential weaponry and its accompanying ethical challenges, thereby laying the foundation for a modern understanding of high-stakes governance. In our current “perilous present,” Hiroshima's legacy offers crucial lessons on the dangers of technological advancement without global ethical oversight.
Recommended Citation
White, Scott M.
(2026)
"Hiroshima and the Birth of the Perilous Present,"
Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History: Vol. 8:
Iss.
2, Article 3.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/ljh/vol8/iss2/3
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