Moral education in the military: Optimal approach to teaching military ethics

Abstract

This paper aims to explain the inadequacies of the traditional approach to moral education in the military and present an optimal approach to teaching military ethics. Author provides a short review of key notions, the subject, and the importance of military ethics in armed forces, followed by a short analysis of both traditional approaches - aspirational and functionalist - to teaching military ethics identifying their weaknesses. Author concludes that it is necessary to transcend the traditional approach and include both moral philosophy and character development in moral education in order to develop a military ethos based on solid ethical foundations. Finally, author offers a solution to the identified problem and proposes an optimal approach to military ethics education, which includes both basic formal education in moral philosophy and meaningful integration of ethics in various other classes and forms of military training, in order to develop the desired ethics-based military ethos.