Military leaders cannot shun making ethical decisions. However, selecting the best method to resolve the ethical problems that confront military leaders sometimes can be controversial. This controversy can be more difficult to resolve because most of the times the military’s ethical values are in conflict with its non-ethical values. Military culture objectively calls on its members to follow rules and to accomplish missions. Therefore, a military leader is ethically good to the extent by which he/she follows the rules.
Also, a military leader is effective to the extent by which he/she gets things done. Hence, for this reason, virtue ethic approach is the best solution which helps in cultivating leaders of character. Thesis statement When military leaders try to balance the demands of morality with those of the profession they consider several things which include their immediate and long term goals, the consequences of their decision in achieving these goals as well as the effect on others, and the rules and principles that govern the profession.
When the above conflict, military leaders need an approach that will enable them to resolve these conflicts in a consistent and coherent manner. Hence virtue ethic approach is the best solution which helps in cultivating leaders of character. Introduction Military Ethics refers to environments of soldiers, whose primary assignment is preparation to the leadership of wars and it embraces all population intended to military services. Modern problems are extended to executing assignments like participation in peacekeeping, mediatory and preventive missions, partnership for peace.
This gives military ethics a great meaning and the extension favours it among the other ethics. Also, military ethics requires efficiency of soldiers in all operations given above. (Gen. Shalikashvili, 1995). Sometimes, however, a military leader is not able to follow the rules and get things done. Hence this can increase the likelihood of ethical crises. These crises eventually sap the strength of the military and also divert attention of its members and its supporters to other things that do not directly relate to ensuring combat readiness.
Thus for this reason, a military leader’s ability to determine right and wrong is vital to promote and maintain the long-term health of the military. Differences between Military ethics and Applied ethics in professions Military ethics differs to some extent from applied ethics in professions like law, business, and medicine in various respects. Firstly is a product of the nature and context in which military actions occur. The actions include: the intentional killing or injuring of other human beings or the mass destruction of property.
These actions are heavily condemned in most normal contexts, but not in many military contexts. Secondly is a product of the nature of the relation between individuals and institutions in the military. To a greater extent military ethics is directed at institutions than in other areas of applied ethics in professions. Their actions are mainly structured by large institutions such as governments and armies. Therefore, military ethics is less individualized /personal than other areas of applied ethics.
Finally, there is uncommon diverse set of types of ethical/moral agent in the military field. Every type of agent is subject to a totally different set of constraints and responsibilities, and each of them faces a different set of moral decisions. (Wakin, Wenker & Kempf, 1987). Military ethics must therefore produce a set of moral guidelines that is simple enough to be used in even the most demanding of military contexts, but also able to accommodate the diverse needs of military agents.