An ethic for the military: Establishing and grounding a professional military ethic for the military forces in the United States.

摘要

This dissertation seeks to establish and ground a professional military ethic, a body of principles of right conduct for the military forces of the United States. To accomplish this, the dissertation answers the following questions with respect to the military and the professional military ethic: (1) Can a state justify having and using military forces? (2) If a state can justify using military force, does the use of that force fall within the boundaries of morality? (3) Does the military profession need a professional military ethic? (4) What is the professional military ethic? (5) Where does the professional military ethic come from? (6) Why should a military professional follow the professional military ethic? (7) What kind of moral theory can ground the professional military ethic and the socio-moral framework presumed by that ethic?;The professional military ethic, developed and codified in Chapter III, does not stand alone. It is one of many practical ethics that fit within the larger moral framework of our society, our common system of rules, both requirements and prohibitions that guide our behavior.;The moral theory that underlies both the professional military ethic and the moral framework presumed by that ethic presupposes moral reality as well as moral agency. It emphasizes our need, as persons, to direct and control our own lives and to hold ourselves responsible for our actions. It recognizes that each of us is accountable for our individual actions, which means we find it necessary to explain and justify our actions in a manner that stands rational criticism, from ourselves as well as others.;Our moral reality and our reason for behaving morally are both grounded in the structure of personhood and rational agency. Behaving morally is part of being a military professional. This is because we as persons are beings who possess a moral perspective. If we choose to ignore that perspective, deliberately suppressing it, we do violence to our self-image as rational beings who direct and control our own lives.