Military Ethics An Introduction with Case Studies

by Coleman, Stephen

• ISBN13: 9780199846290
• ISBN10: 0199846294
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-07-26
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Military Ethics: An Introduction with Case Studiesprovides an accessible introduction to the ethical issues faced by today's junior and mid-ranking military personnel. Offering an exceptionally practical perspective, it includes more than fifty engaging case studies--personal, historical, and fictional accounts--that give students a birds-eye view of various real-world ethical dilemmas. Opening with an introduction to ethics and an overview of ethical theory, the book goes on to discuss ethical problems related to: the use and misuse of power and authority; discrimination and proportionality in traditional conflicts, irregular wars, and humanitarian military interventions; supreme emergency, terrorism, and responses to terrorism; and much more. Military Ethicsis enhanced by suggestions for further reading, an abbreviation key, an extensive bibliography, and an appendix including a list of the international treaties that make up the Law of Armed Conflict. A companion website at www.oup.com/us/coleman features lecture notes, additional case studies, and discussion questions.

Author Biography

Stephen Coleman is Program Director, Military Ethics, at the Australian Centre for the Study of Armed Conflict and Society, and Vincent Fairfax Foundation Fellow at The University of New South Wales, Canberra, located at the Australian Defence Force Academy, where he teaches military ethics. He is the author of The Ethics of Artificial Uteruses: Implications for Reproduction and Abortion (2004) and numerous papers in academic journals and edited collections.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. x
List of Abbreviations	p. xix
Introduction: what is ethics? What is an Ethical decision?	p. 1
What Is Ethics and Why Should I Study It?	p. 1
Law and Ethics	p. 3
Ethical Dilemmas and Tests of Integrity	p. 4
Notes	p. 6
Further Reading	p. 7
Discussion Questions	p. 7
Ethical Theory-An Overview	p. 8
The Runaway Railway Car	p. 8
The Spare Parts Surgeon	p. 8
Ethical Considerations	p. 9
Theories of Value and Theories of Ethics	p. 12
Ethical Theory-Consequences	p. 14
First Use of the Atomic Bomb	p. 15
Criticizing Consequentialism	p. 16
Ethical Theory-Principles and Duties	p. 18
Shooting the Downed Pilot	p. 20
Criticizing Deontology	p. 21
Ethical Theory-Character	p. 24
Marines Don't Do That	p. 25
Is Ethics Simply Relative?	p. 27
Integrating Theories of Ethics	p. 28
Notes	p. 29
Further Reading	p. 31
Discussion Questions	p. 31
Professional Ethics, Duties, and obligations	p. 32
The HMAS Westralia Fire	p. 32
Discussion	p. 34
The Profession of Arms	p. 35
Role Morality	p. 37
Military Values and Military Virtue	p. 39
Leave No One Behind	p. 40
The Training Course	p. 46
The Triangular Balance	p. 51
Military Dispute over Casualties in Afghanistan	p. 51
Esequiel Hernandez Shooting	p. 53
Notes	p. 56
Further Reading	p. 58
Discussion Questions	p. 58
Just War Theory-Traditional Issues of Jus Ad Bellum	p. 59
The 1991 Gulf War	p. 59
The 2003 Invasion of Iraq	p. 60
Discussion	p. 62
Alternative Theories on War	p. 63
Pacifism	p. 63
Realism	p. 64
A Very Brief History of Just War Theory	p. 65
Ethics and International Law	p. 69
Implementing the Principles of Jus Ad Bellum	p. 71
The Korean War	p. 73
The Six Day War	p. 75
Israeli Attack on Iraq's Osirak Nuclear Reactor	p. 79
The Falklands War	p. 82
Assessing the Two Gulf Wars	p. 84
Notes	p. 85
Further Reading	p. 86
Discussion Questions	p. 87
Just War Theory-Modern Issues of Jus Ad Bellum: Humanitarian Intervention, Insurgency, and Counterinsurgency	p. 88
Operation Cast Lead	p. 88
The 1999 NATO Intervention in Support of Kosovo	p. 90
Discussion	p. 92
Of Countries, States, and Nations	p. 93
The Basics of Jus Ad Bellum and Insurgency	p. 95
The Fight Against Apartheid	p. 98
Jus Ad Bellum and Difficult Insurgency Cases	p. 103
Jus Ad Bellum and Counterinsurgency	p. 106
Israel, Uganda, and the Entebbe Incident	p. 108
Justification for Humanitarian Intervention	p. 109
The Rwandan Genocide	p. 110
Intervention in East Timor	p. 114
Responsibility to Protect	p. 116
Notes	p. 117
Further Reading	p. 120
Discussion Questions	p. 120
Power and Authority-Issuing and Following Orders	p. 121
Ehren Watada and Iraq	p. 121
Marine Advance on Baghdad	p. 122
Discussion	p. 123
Considering Authority	p. 125
Wearing Body Armor in Afghanistan	p. 126
The Logistics Officer's Problem	p. 129
The Ethical Problems of Orders	p. 133
Orders to HMS Alacrity	p. 134
Placing the Strobe	p. 137
Come Right!	p. 139
Reinterpreting Orders	p. 141
Notes	p. 145
Further Reading	p. 147
Discussion Questions	p. 147
Discrimination and Proportionality I: Traditional Issues of Jus in Bello	p. 148
Airpower and Marine Assault	p. 148
Discussion	p. 149
Discrimination	p. 151
The Ethical Permissibility of Targeting Combatants	p. 152
The Principle of Noncombatant Immunity	p. 156
The Incident at the Fallujah Mosque	p. 158
Proportionality	p. 161
Sinking of the General Belgrano	p. 162
The Dam Busters Raid	p. 165
Modern Assessment of Collateral Damage	p. 168
Conviction of Milan Martic	p. 169
Summary	p. 170
Notes	p. 171
Further Reading	p. 174
Discussion Questions	p. 174
Discrimination and Proportionality II: Jus in Bello in Irregular Wars	p. 175
Casualties in the 2008-2009 Gaza War	p. 175
Discussion	p. 177
Discrimination in Irregular Wars	p. 178
Defending the Crashed Helicopter	p. 179
Rules of Engagement and Civilian Casualties in Irregular Wars	p. 180
Assault on a Taliban Compound	p. 183
Difficult Cases of Discrimination in Irregular Wars	p. 186
Israel and Targeted Killing	p. 188
Proportionality in Irregular Wars	p. 192
Notes	p. 194
Further Reading	p. 197
Discussion Questions	p. 198
Discrimination and Proportionality III: Jus in Bello in Humanitarian Operations	p. 199
NATO Attacks and Dual-Use Targets	p. 199
Discussion	p. 200
Jus In Bella in Armed Humanitarian Operations	p. 202
Dual-Use Targets	p. 205
Peacekeeping or Peacemaking?	p. 207
Protecting Civilians by Endangering Troops	p. 208
The Baby Ram	p. 212
The Child Soldier	p. 215
Moscow Theatre Siege	p. 218
Notes	p. 221
Further Reading	p. 223
Discussion Questions	p. 223
Issues of Surrender and Detention	p. 225
Operation Red Wings	p. 225
Discussion	p. 227
Surrender	p. 227
White Flags in Desert Storm	p. 229
After the Battle	p. 234
Prisoners of War	p. 237
The Sniper and the Murderer	p. 239
Notes	p. 243
Further Reading	p. 244
Discussion Questions	p. 245
Supreme Emergency, Terrorism, and Torture	p. 246
The Petraeus Letter to the Troops	p. 246
Discussion	p. 248
Supreme Emergency	p. 250
The Decision to Bomb German Cities	p. 251
Supreme Emergency and Terrorism in the Modern World	p. 255
Supreme Emergency and Counterterrorism in the Modern World	p. 256
The Ticking Bomb in Paris	p. 258
The Ticking Bomb in Sri Lanka	p. 260
Notes	p. 264
Further Reading	p. 266
Discussion Questions	p. 266
Conclusion	p. 267
Competence and the Professional	p. 269
The Unlimited Liability Contract	p. 270
Of Warriors and Murderers	p. 271
Knowing and Doing	p. 272
Notes	p. 273
Appendix: The Laws of Armed Conflict	p. 275
Bibliography	p. 279
Index	p. 287
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.