Following Military Orders That May Be Unethical

Outline

Introduction

Unethical orders in military have been a subject of debate since long time.

This involves whether soldiers have liberty in denying the unethical orders or they are required to execute the orders under any circumstance.

Question of how far a military should go to avoid harming civilians have generated a heated debate.

Key Issues

Issue 1

Under the military oath, soldiers are required to follow the command of their seniors that raises concern on the viability and acceptability of orders that contradict ethical principles.

One of the major issues that soldiers face is to execute the military orders when they are assured that it might result in killing of innocent people.

Issue 2

Military ethics addresses the moral issues raised by the employment of organized forces of mass destruction.

The issues of whether or when wars can be morally justified remains questionable

Issue 3

The consensus of twentieth-century international law and politics is that only defensive wars are legitimate

From utilitarian point of view, these approaches are ethical because the outcome derived from executing such orders are in favor of one group, i.e. United States Citizen.

Issue 4

U.S. armed forces and their allies need to adopt stricter rules of engagement to prevent civilian casualties and need to uphold the stringent moral standards.

A nation may be justified in initiating a war of aggression, as when it intervenes against a government which is a mortal threat to its own citizenry.

Conclusion

The instrument of war must be suited to achieve the ends which justify it and must not impose costs greater than the benefits likely to be won.

The genuine purpose for which military orders to war is fought must be to secure its purportedly justifying ends.

Another condition of just war from the deontological fighting approach is proportionality in choice of tactical means to achieve ends within war.

Following Military Orders That May Be Unethical

Introduction

Unethical orders in military have been a subject of debate since long time. This paper presents an analysis of the issues surrounding the following of military orders that may be unethical. This involves whether soldiers have liberty in denying the unethical orders or they are required to execute the orders under any circumstance. Under the military oath, soldiers are required to follow the command of their seniors that raises concern on the viability and acceptability of orders that contradict ethical principles. One of the major issues that soldiers face is to execute the military orders when they are assured that it might result in killing of innocent people.

Military ethics addresses the moral issues raised by the employment of organized forces of mass destruction. The importance and difficulty of these problems have been apparent to all great human cultures. Ethical theorists thought on the ethics of war are encapsulated in just war theory with its two major strands: the issues of whether or when wars can be morally justified; and the issues of what moral standards should govern the conduct of those engaged in war.

Discussion and Analysis using Ethical Approaches

On February 21, 2010, ...