Customer Reviews

Moral Issues in Mil Dec Mak 2nd

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For anyone looking at contemporary issues in modern warfare to include guerrilla and asymmetric warfare, this is a good start. Some of today's conflict situations appear almost impossible to address morally or ethically. Hartle lays the philosophical, historical, social and cultural arguments applied to moral military decision making. Hartle states from the start his intent to limit the application of 'ends justifies the means'; a good premise, I believe.

Hartle tries his best to make the book applicable. The last chapters are filled with contemporary scenarios based on modern day military ethical challenges (up through 2005). The author doesn't claim to have all the answers to every ethical challenge. Instead, after laying the groundwork through his exploration of international treaties, the Just War Tradition (JWT) and even sources of American ethics (to include principles of freedom, democracy and human rights), the scenarios walk the reader through a cohesive decision matrix.

There is no hard and fast answer to moral decision making in every military scenario, especially in light of technology that constantly outpaces JWT development. The temptation on the one hand, would be to throw in the towel and accept additional collateral damage encouraging the non-normative view of warfare. Hartle doesn't allow this. If anything, Hartle highlights the need for more quick-thinking, creative and bold military leaders, willing to study in-depth the changing nature of war.

Victory in warfare, in the long and short term, is not for the morally void or ethically ignorant. Victory in battle can be produced through indiscriminate targets but victory in war requires ethical maneuver beyond the gun-sights alone.