What are the lessons learned, from Bataille de la Somme to Seconde Bataille de la Marne, about the ethical training of military service members? The paper considers the catastrophic geo-political discontinuity that the Great War imposed.
Pre-war archival transcription of a report to Parliament by Edward Grey (1905-1916), the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, along with post-war primary sources from Post-War ethicist Max Carl Otto (1876-1968) provide higher historical context for exploring the proposition: The UK, US, Commonwealth, and Western European militaries must return to a transcendent ethical framework for training officers, especially Chaplains.
The rejection of metaphysical ethics (not just religious ethics, but also nontheistic-natural law frames) in exchange for, e.g., a Darwinian ethical construct, resulted in an ethical system that could not answer the Soldier's cry for the meaning of life and solace in suffering. This is a code without a creed. The paper proposes a “mother’s knee ethic,” as a transcendent encouragement that is both accessible to warfighters and serviceable by military educators. Such an ethical charter is already offered in the Army Ethic produced and promulgated by the U.S. Army Center for Profession and Ethics (2014). The paper proposes not only a response to a crisis in ethics education for military members but also offers a pedagogical method in a pluralistic environment, "Cooperation without Compromise."
Table of Contents
Introduction
I. The Transformative War
II. Mother’s Knee or Civic Ethics: The Question
III. The United States Army has a Transcendent Ethic
IV. Moral Man and Immoral Society: Niebuhr’s Ethic
V. A Way Forward: Cooperation without Compromise
Conclusion
Objectives and Core Topics
This paper examines the necessity of a transcendent ethical framework for the training of military officers, particularly in the context of the existential challenges posed by modern warfare. It critiques the current reliance on "civic ethics" and proposes a return to a "mother's knee" ethic rooted in transcendent values.
- The historical impact of World War I on ethical education in the military.
- The distinction between "civic ethics" and a "transcendent ethical framework."
- The role of the U.S. Army Ethic in addressing existential crises.
- Pedagogical strategies for teaching ethics in a pluralistic environment using the concept of "Cooperation without Compromise."
Excerpt from the Book
II. Mother’s Knee or Civic Ethics: The Question
To be clear, the historical development of ethics and ethics education requires further research and a fuller examination. Characterizations of a brisk chunking of older ethical orders for newer ones is unsatisfactory. But one must locate categories. There are only so many footnotes that can be used. So, leaning on others’ research, we can, at least, say the shift happened over these past one hundred years: from a transcendent value system, overwhelmingly Judeo-Christian in nature, to a modern, and now post-modern system erected upon technology, then civic virtue, respectively.
So, I move from asking “What kind of ethic is best for fighting and resting from war in today’s battlefield and in light of what we have experienced and learned from the Great War” to, I hope, a more finely chiseled question: "Is a transcendent ethic a superior ethical framework for both fighting and resting from war?" The question that I put forward comes after having taught, among other subjects, ethics to military members at the United States Army Chaplain Center and School. I have also taught ethics (and theology and religious studies) at the graduate level in civilian institutions in the United States of America and in India, Albania, and in the United Kingdom. I have served as Command Chaplain of the United States Military Intelligence Readiness Command. As a chair of missions in a theological seminary I am currently engaged in teaching the development of theology and praxis since World War Two.
Chapter Summaries
Introduction: Outlines the historical context of World War I and the enduring necessity of addressing ethical education in the military to sustain the "soul of the soldier."
I. The Transformative War: Discusses how the unprecedented violence and technological shifts of World War I created a crisis in human worldviews and ethical frameworks.
II. Mother’s Knee or Civic Ethics: The Question: Explores the shift from traditional transcendent ethical systems to modern secular "civic ethics" and poses the research question regarding the superiority of a transcendent framework.
III. The United States Army has a Transcendent Ethic: Analyzes the U.S. Army's official ethical doctrines and argues that they contain the foundations of a transcendent, metaphysical framework.
IV. Moral Man and Immoral Society: Niebuhr’s Ethic: Utilizes Reinhold Niebuhr’s "Christian Realism" to critique the inability of collective institutions to adopt transcendent ethics without individual commitment.
V. A Way Forward: Cooperation without Compromise: Proposes a pedagogical technique that allows for the teaching of transcendent values in a pluralistic setting without falling into secular relativism.
Conclusion: Summarizes the argument that a recovery of a transcendent ethical framework is essential for supporting the mental and spiritual well-being of military personnel.
Keywords
Military ethics, transcendent ethic, mother’s knee ethic, World War I, civic ethics, Army Ethic, pluralism, existential crisis, moral injury, Reinhold Niebuhr, professional military education, metaphysics, secularization, virtue ethics, soldier's soul.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on the necessity of a transcendent ethical framework for training military officers to navigate the existential and moral challenges of modern warfare.
What are the central themes discussed?
Key themes include the historical impact of the Great War, the erosion of metaphysical values, the distinction between civic and transcendent ethics, and the role of the Chaplain Corps in ethics education.
What is the core research question?
The core question is whether a transcendent ethical framework is superior to a purely secular "civic" framework for military personnel who must fight and endure the realities of war.
What research methodology does the author utilize?
The author employs a qualitative approach, drawing on historical documents, post-war literature, ethical theory, and personal experience as both a scholar and a military chaplain.
What does the author suggest for the military's future?
The author advocates for a pedagogical approach of "Cooperation without Compromise" to reintegrate transcendent values into military training to address moral injury and existential angst.
Which concepts characterize this work?
The work is characterized by concepts such as "mother's knee ethics," Christian Realism, pluralism versus philosophical Pluralism, and the "transcendent value system."
What does the author mean by "mother’s knee" ethics?
This refers to the foundational, transcendent moral principles an individual is taught in childhood, which the author argues provide a more robust ethical anchor for warfighters than a manual of professional standards.
Why does the author cite T.S. Eliot and John McCrae?
They are cited to demonstrate how literature and poetry provide a necessary existential expression that reflects the human need for metaphysical meaning in the face of the horrors of war.
How does the author relate the "Army Ethic" to his proposition?
The author argues that the official Army Ethic already possesses the necessary components of a transcendent framework and that military educators should leverage this foundation more effectively.
- Quote paper
- Dr. Michael A. Milton (Author), 2018, Faith and Flanders Fields. Ethics Education in the U.K. and U.S. Military, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/444292
