BOOK REVIEW

摘要

Nathan K. Finney is an officer in the U.S. Army studying history at Duke University. Tyrell 0. Mayfield is an Air Force officer currently commanding the USAF 72d Security Forces Squadron. This is an encouraging book; reflecting an evaluation of war, arguably at a time of conflict and growing operational demands on the U.S. and its allies. This book represents a period of reflection in the U.S. military; rightly winning plaudits, from the military great and the good (including General Dempsey) from U.S. and UK - which may be both a strength and a weakness. Ethics deals with morals and the principles of morality pertaining to right and wrong conduct and with actions being in accordance with the norms, rules or standards for right conduct or practice, such as the standards of a profession. The point being that the codification of a profession is about ethics, and ethics define the profession. This circularity works well in times of stability but not in times of uncertainty when sailors and soldiers need to think 'outside the box' and no amount of rules of engagement can determine right action and behaviour. Moreover, given their codification, ethics can also become doctrine and doctrinaire - preventing thinking. Napoleon commented that 'moral is to the physical as three is to one'. The pressing intersection is not between professions and ethics per se (which may be one and the same) but between ethics/professions and morality dealing with higher values for proper conduct. Whereas codes of conduct/ doctrine can be imposed, moral and values may not. This has to come from within. The U.S. military leads the way in examining decision making and taking through scenarios to get at these types of situations. But herein may lie another issue. Whereas the U.S. military and its allies might come together on values and morals, they have different ways of codifying these into professional ethics. It is this intersection that we may learn more from - and much harder, perhaps, to articulate. A great book and one that no doubt will become a primer for future staff officers.