Issues in Military Ethics

Martin L. Cook is Admiral James Bond Stockdale Chair of Professional Military Ethics at the United States Naval War College. He is the author of several books, including The Moral Warrior: Ethics and Service in the U.S. Military, also published by SUNY Press.

"Overall, this book should be mandatory reading for those in uniform … Readers will not agree with all of Cook's arguments, but that is not the point. Professional military ethics is to be engaged—consistently—over the course of one's time in uniform. In one book, Cook raises often ignored debates and tensions confronted by both junior and senior leaders. It is the sort of text one will return to repeatedly over time." — Journal of Military Ethics"The U.S. military is one of the most trusted institutions in American society. Martin Cook takes us inside the professional military establishment to examine the most contested ethical debates of the post-9/11 era. His candor and rigor reveal deep sources of American power: the virtues of reason and openness, and the capacity for self-correction. This book is an example of how moral argument has served our country and the world. It should be read by all who seek to understand the moral foundations of war, peace, and democracy in the early twenty-first century." — Joel H. Rosenthal, President of the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs"In this valuable book, Martin Cook brings to bear both his academic background in the study of philosophical, theological, and historical perspectives on ethics and the insider's understanding of issues in military ethics he has gained through his years of teaching and interacting with American military professionals. This special combination of Cook's experience and knowledge give him a rare perspective and understanding not only of what the important issues are today but how they have become so and how to think meaningfully about them." — James Turner Johnson, author of Ethics and the Use of Force: Just War in Historical Perspective

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsSection I. Overview: Legacies and New Challenges 1. What Should We Mean by "Military Ethics"?With Henrik Syse2. Reflections on the Stockdale Legacy3. The Day the World Changed? Reflections on 9/11 and U.S. National Security StrategySection II. Civil-Military Relations 4. The Revolt of the Generals: A Case Study in Professional Ethics5. U.S. Civil Military Relations since 9/11: Issues in Ethics and Policy DevelopmentWith Mary Beth UlrichSection III. Ethics Education in the Military 6. Teaching Military Ethics in the U.S. Air Force: Challenges Posed by Service Culture7. Professional Military Ethics across the Career Spectrum8. Thucydides as a Resource for Teaching Ethics and Leadership in Military Education EnvironmentsSection IV. Religion in the U.S. Military 9. Is Just War Spirituality Possible?10. Christianity and Weapons of Mass Destruction11. Evangelical Christianity in the U.S. Military12. Diagnosing a Loss of Religious Diversity in the U.S. Military13. Whether (Modern, American) Soldiers, Too, Can Be Saved14. A Force for (Relative) Good: An Augustinian PerspectiveSection V. Ethical Issues in War 15. Michael Walzer’s Concept of "Supreme Emergency"16. Asymmetric Air War: Ethical ImplicationsWith Mark Conversino17. Ethical Dilemmas in the Use of Airpower in Counterinsurgency WarNotesIndex