Virtue ethics and the rationalization of unethical military orders

¶ … Military Orders That May be Unethical

Military orders are seen as non-optional when they are given. In other words, they cannot be ignored or discarded by those they are given to if the person does not want to follow them for any reason at all. They are not negotiable in any way, under any circumstances. But, are these orders always ethical? In some cases, it would seem as though these orders are not ethical. However, that depends on the person who has been asked to follow those orders and what he or she sees as being ethical. People have very different opinions about ethics, and they are more guidelines than rules when they are looked at by the majority of people. Because ethics are not completely static across a lifetime and because they can change from person to person, it is important to realize that ethics, as a concept, can have very different meanings for people. In that sense, following military orders that may be unethical is only a concern for a given set of ethics, and that set can be adjusted or rationalized to fit the context in which the order was given using virtue ethics.

For people who are willing to adjust their ethics to fit the situation or consider other options during that situation, ethics can be very fluid and can change drastically. Whether a person chooses to rationalize things out for a given situation, or whether that person just chooses to take a look at what he or she has done in the past and find a way to accept a new or different set of ethics as life changes and evolves, things can be very different in a situation that is uncommon or unexpected. The military is not something that is common to most people, and when someone joins the military and is expected to follow orders without question, it can become difficult for that person to handle the changes and the stress that comes with a readjustment of his or her ethical beliefs.

Virtue Ethics

Virtue ethics is tied to Aristotle (Crisp & Slote, 1997). He stated that virtue is a state of character, and that virtue is not something that can be "pinned down" accurately because it means different things to different people (Darwall, 2003; Devettere, 2002). In other words, it is a static and situational concept to a large degree. With that in mind, it can be shown how it will apply to military orders that might be unethical. Whether they are really unethical at all is something that cannot be determined beyond the court of personal opinion. In other words, one person may find an order highly unethical, while another person may have no problem at all with the order in any way. That does not mean that one person is good and the other person is bad, or that one is ethical (or virtuous) and the other is not. It merely means that one person's ethics are different from the ethics of the other person. That can cause conflict in the military because one person may be perfectly willing to follow orders and another may not.

However, when it comes to ethics and the way they can change over time, virtue ethics is an excellent way to solve ethical problems in the military where the ethics of orders has to be considered. For example, people are taught for the majority of their lives that it is wrong to harm or kill other people. However, in war, it is sometimes necessary to kill other people because they are the enemy and are actively engaged in trying to kill others. In that sense, it may not be at all unethical to kill someone, even though that is very different from what has been taught to that person his or her whole life. Some will not feel as though it is a problem, and others will struggle with it. That could cause them to hesitate in their duties, which could risk their lives and the lives of others. They must rationalize the issue of the risk to themselves and others with the issue of potentially taking another life.

According to virtue ethics, people generally focus on the difference between pleasure and pain (Darwall, 2003). In short, they do things which cause them pleasure and avoid things which cause them pain. In the military, people must follow orders or they are severely punished. That will cause them pain, and it is something they want to avoid. On the other hand, following orders may cause them pleasure, or at least help them avoid pain. While they might not find taking a life to be pleasurable, they may enjoy the accolades they receive for their part in specific battles. There are medals and other commendations they can receive, which can make them feel important and valued. Following orders is also a valuable skill for someone in the military, because being able to do what one is told without question is what is needed on the battlefield when everyone is working together for a common goal.

Fewer mistakes are made by people who are unquestionably handling orders and who do not allow their ethical beliefs and opinions to override what they are told to do. By using virtue ethics and realizing that ethics are generally specific to the event or situation for which they are being required, people who are in the military and who are being given orders can follow those orders in good conscience and not have to worry about whether they feel it is ethical to do so. Understanding that the orders they are following are ethical for that particular time and place is a very important factor for anyone who is in the military, because they may be asked to do some things about which they do not feel comfortable. The more they can adjust their thinking to reflect the changing situation and the fluidity of ethics in difficult situations, the more valuable they will be as members of the military.

Personal Views

One of the most difficult areas of ethics is to talk about personal views, because everyone believes something different and has different values. When it comes to the military, however, virtue ethics are much closer to my own beliefs than relativism. I understand that there may not be absolute truths, but it is wrong to use that as an excuse to avoid following orders. When a person joins the military, he or she knows that orders must be followed and that these orders are not to be questioned. In that sense, it does not matter if the person thinks the orders are unethical. What matters is that the person focuses on fulfilling the orders without question or hesitation. This is what soldiers do. That does not mean that they are not capable of thinking for themselves. Instead, what is meant by this is that soldiers know that orders are given for a reason, and that those orders are to be followed. To do anything less would be a disservice to their country and their fellow soldiers who are relying on them. That is an important consideration for anyone who is considering joining the military.

My own personal belief is that virtue ethics make a lot more sense when it comes to following military orders that may be unethical. Not only are ethics relative to a person, they are also relative to a situation. As was talked about in the example of killing in wartime as opposed to killing for other reasons, taking the life of an enemy during war can appear to be completely justified. Because of that, people who would otherwise not harm a person may join the military and not have any type of ethical dilemma over taking the life of another person. If someone is actively trying to kill you, you most likely would not just stand around and allow them to do it. You would either try to hide and protect yourself, or you would attempt to kill or maim them so that you would no longer be at risk. That is what most people would do during peace time, but they would also not go around armed and/or expecting to be shot at or otherwise harmed like they do when they are in the military and at war.

One of the most important things to remember about virtue ethics is how it addresses the issue of pleasure and pain. For people in the military, the pain of what will happen to them if they do not follow orders is often much greater in their minds than the pain they will feel if they take a life or perform other actions that they would normally shun or avoid. Unfortunately, they do not really know how they will feel about these things until they happen. Once those things take place, they cannot be removed from the mind or the memory, which can scar a person and leave them vulnerable to mental health issues and other problems. While that is not the point of this paper, it is important to be aware that people who are in the military face difficult decisions about ethics and other facets of life that people who are not in the military may never face and may never even consider.

The difference between pleasure and pain can also be difficult to discern in some ways, which can leave a person even more confused about how he or she wants to handle the issue of what is or is not ethical. During military exercises or deployments, lines can become blurred and issues of right and wrong can become confusing. As that happens, the person may begin to question his or her ethics and whether different choices need to be made. That can lead to big changes for people who already struggle with whether their ethics are the "right" ones for them and whether they should be changed in order to be more accepted or fall in line with the people around them and/or the people who are leading and guiding them. Many people adopt the ethics of people they trust and are closest to, which is something that seems much more logical. Those people find their truths, and that makes much more sense to me than saying that there just are not any truths at all.

Conclusion

As can be seen, ethics are something that is very personal and very unique to each person. That is important to keep in mind, even in the context of the military. While soldiers are trained to do what they are told and be effective, they are still human beings and not robots. They have thoughts and feelings and beliefs that may not completely coincide with those of their peers or their leaders. They will need to repress how they feel in light of the orders they are supposed to follow, or they will need to change how they feel to be more in line with others to whom they look up or to whom they must report. That is not an easy thing to do, but working with virtue ethics can help people move forward with an understanding that ethics may be much more situational and contextual than they thought in the past. This new way of looking at things can help them make difficult choices about who they are, what they believe, and what they will do when they are ordered.

That is not to say that a soldier should never say no to anything, even a direct order. He or she has the right to do that, but must understand that it could cause a serious problem in his or her military career. Being dishonorably discharged, for example, can carry a lifelong stigma that is difficult to get rid of. While it will not affect the ex-soldier in all aspects of life, it can have far-reaching consequences, some of which would really not be expected. People who have serious ethical conflicts about taking orders unconditionally may want to avoid getting into the military, because it can become difficult for them if they decide that taking orders is not right for them or that the orders conflict too strongly with the beliefs they have. Many people do not think about this before they sign up, but it can leave them struggling with perceived unethical orders as their career advances.