Awakening Warrior: Revolution in the Ethics of WarfareState University of New York Press, 2010 M03 10 - 243 pages 2007 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Awakening Warrior argues for a revolution in the ethics of warfare for the American War Machine—those political and military institutions that engage the world with physical force. Timothy L. Challans focuses on the systemic, institutional level of morality rather than bemoaning the moral shortcomings of individuals. He asks: What are the limits of individual moral agency? What kind of responsibility do individuals have when considering institutional moral error? How is it that neutral or benign moral actions performed by individuals can have such catastrophic morally negative effects from a systemic perspective? Drawing upon and extending the ethical theories of Kant, Dewey, and Rawls, Challans makes the case for an original set of moral principles to guide ethical action on the battlefield. "...[Challans's] call for reformation combined with a demand for a new set of moral principles to govern the ethical behavior on the battlefield is certain to garner the attention and ire of many readers and military leaders." — Parameters "This is an important book that needs to be read and taken seriously. If it is, it could be as revolutionary as its subtitle suggests." — CHOICE |
Contents
| 1 | |
2 The PseudoReflective Life | 29 |
3 The SemiReflective Life | 73 |
4 The QuasiReflective Life | 105 |
5 The Fully Reflective Life | 137 |
6 The Fully Reflective Life and Military Ethics | 177 |
Notes | 187 |
Bibliography | 215 |
About the Author | 219 |
Index | 221 |
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Awakening Warrior: Revolution in the Ethics of Warfare Timothy L. Challans No preview available - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
achieve actions actually American applied approach argue Army authority become believe better bring Cambridge cause chapter claim commander conception consider courage course critical critique culture decision doctrine effect employed enemy engage ethics example exist fighting final follow force further give harm Henry Kissinger honor idea immoral important institution Iraq judgments justified Kant killing laws lead leaders least logic look major matter means methods military moral error motivated narratives nature norms officers operations particular peace perhaps person philosophical political position possible practice principles problem professional progress protect question Rawls reason reflection religious requirement says sense simply soldiers term theory things tion turn understanding United University Press values victory Vietnam virtues warfare warrior West wrong York
Popular passages
Page 203 - And through all this welter of change and development your mission remains fixed, determined, inviolable. It is to win our wars. Everything else in your professional career is but corollary to this vital dedication. All other public purposes, all other public projects, all other public needs, great or small, will find others for their accomplishment; but you are the ones who are trained to fight. Yours is the profession of arms, the will to win, the sure knowledge that in war there is no substitute...
Page 190 - I, AB, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of America; that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies whomsoever; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the rules and articles of war.
Page 210 - Among the essential features of this situation is that no one knows his place in society, his class position or social status, nor does any one know his fortune in the distribution of natural assets and abilities, his intelligence, strength and the like.
Page 190 - I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I...
Page 51 - Poetry strengthens the faculty which is the organ of the moral nature of man, in the same manner as exercise strengthens a limb. A poet therefore would do ill to embody his own conceptions of right and wrong, which are usually those of his place and time, in his poetical creations, which participate in neither.
Page 85 - For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them, eg men become builders by building and lyreplayers by playing the lyre; so too we become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.
Page 56 - Following this came a red rage. He developed the acute exasperation of a pestered animal, a well-meaning cow worried by dogs. He had a mad feeling against his rifle, which could only be used against one life at a time.
Page 52 - Those in whom the poetical faculty, though great, is less intense, as Euripides, Lucan, Tasso, Spenser, have frequently affected a moral aim, and the effect of their poetry is diminished in exact proportion to the degree in which they compel us to advert to this purpose.
Page 150 - They do not know how the various alternatives will affect their own particular case and they are obliged to evaluate principles solely on the basis of general considerations.
Page 36 - You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I wilL War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it: and those who brought war into our Country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out.