Ethics Education in the Military

With formal ethics training programs being a rarity in most countries' armed forces, there is a growing importance for servicemen to undergo additional military ethics training, including lessons in 'core warrior values'.However, whilst it is one thing to say that soldiers will have to undergo ethics training, it is quite another to ensure that they learn the right lessons from it. Furthermore, it is clear from a survey of ethics training programs in place in various nations that there is no uniformity of approach, a lack of coherence even within programs, let alone between them, and even disagreement as to the degree to which such programs are necessary. Given the fact that few Western states now send their military forces on operations independently, the lack of uniformity about what constitutes ethical behavior and how troops should be educated in it, is potentially a cause for serious alarm.This book advances knowledge and understanding of the issues associated with this subject by bringing together experts from around the world to analyse the content, mode of instruction, theoretical underpinnings, and the effect of cultural and national differences within current ethics programmes. It also explores whether such programs are best run by military officers, chaplains or academic philosophers, and reflects whether it is feasible to develop common principles and approaches for the armed forces of all Western countries.This is an invaluable volume for military academies and staff colleges to enhance understanding of a matter which requires much further thought and which is becoming a vital force in influencing outcomes on the battlefields of the twenty-first century. This book will primarily be of interest to military officers and others directly involved in ethics education in the military, as well as to philosophers and students of military affairs.