Thoughts of a Soldier-Ethicist

I am a retired U.S. Army officer who believes in the moral standing of the profession of arms yet recognizes its shortcomings. I served in the Army from 1984-2017, mostly in the infantry and on the faculty at West Point. As a researcher of combat leadership and ethics, I interviewed hundreds of Army junior officers in Iraq, Afghanistan, and at their home stations between 2002-2024. Welcome to this online space for thinking about war, morality, and the profession of arms. I welcome your feedback.

Showing posts with label morality_of_killing slides. Show all posts

Slides I use to discuss the moral justification of killing in war

Several folks have asked if I have a paper or presentation I can share that would help them lead a discussion with their Soldiers on the moral justification of killing in war.
I have intended for months to write a concise paper, or at least put notes to the slides, but alas I haven't. So, I post these slides, knowing full well that bullets don't tell the whole story...but I hope that these are at least helpful. Talking openly about the morality of killing with our Soldiers accomplishes a lot on its own. I know that someone out there will take this discussion to the next level. Please share back with me the insights you discover.