Ethical Dilemmas in the Military
This is a two part process. I need the outline and sources within 6 days and then the complete product (essay) within 13 days. Do not use the example question as a basis for this outline/paper!! Please let me know if you don't understand the instructions.
**This assignment is the first step to completing M4A1: Essay 2 in which you will write about ethical dilemmas that confront either an individual or a group in a military setting. Please review the readings to get some ideas for your topic. The learning outcome states: Students will be able to apply concepts of: ethical conduct in decision making, ethical conduct in action, social responsibility in decision making, and social responsibility in action.
Begin working on M4A1: Essay 2 Ethical Dilemmas in the Military (due in Module 4), by defining an ethical dilemma that confronts either individuals or groups in the military. A group may include—any multi-person unit, from a squad all the way to the entire armed forces.
Here are your instructions for this M3A1 assignment that will form the foundation of your Essay 2 (due in Module 4):
Create a research question from this ethical dilemma. For example:
Ethical dilemma: Hydrologic fracturing for natural gas
Research question: “Is the pursuit of natural gas through the process of hydrological fracturing worth the risks to the environment and community health?”
Create a short (2+ pages) outline for this research question detailing how you will examine both perspectives objectively and then use research facts and data to arrive at a responsible conclusion.
List 2 academic resources you will be using, one for each perspective. Give complete APA style references for each.
**Essay 2, DUE in Module 4, should be 1500 to 2000 words in length (not including title page and reference page). The paper must contain in-text citations and references in APA style. Papers submitted without in-text citations and a reference page will not be accepted.
ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN THE MILITARY
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Ethical Dilemmas in the Military
Introduction
Values inform principles. Principles guide behavior. With knowledge of what one is required to do and not to do, professionals are prompted to comply with the application of professional ethics and values that guide the conduct of civil workers. The military is one of the areas where the application of ethical issues has been an issue under contention. Army officers face a great challenge in doing what they are required to do by order and what they think is supposed to be done as morally upright. In this sense, ethics basically refers to the rightness or wrongness of a decision or action that an individual does. It more or less related to the morality principle. The morality principle is a set of natural and universal rules that guide the conduct of all human beings. In the military, soldiers are sometimes called to war, to resolve conflict or bring a particular scenario under control (Perry, 2004). In all these assignments, military officers are subject to follow whatever they are told to do. As part of their training, one is required to follow orders to the latter, failure which will be treated as a military offence, subject to punishment including dismissal.
This scenario sets the basis of the argument. In other words, while in the battlefield and/or call of duty, should military officers, no matter how compelling a situation is, do what is morally right for them or follow orders including going against the principles of morality which define ethics? This is the dilemma that military officers and soldiers are faced with in their line of duty. Just like any other profession, the military is also subject to ethical consideration because the elements are human beings. In respect to this, this paper will discuss the ethical dilemmas that soldiers and military personnel are faced with in their line of duty. Specifically, the paper will address concepts of ethical conduct in decision making, ethical conduct in action, social responsibility in decision making social responsibility in actions. To arrive at the conclusions case analysis with the use of illustrations will be used to in respect to the topic of discussion.
Ethical Conduct in Decision Making
In the military, soldiers and other military personnel are trained to take orders. Failure to take orders is a military indiscipline case subject to punishment including dismissal. During combat, there is barely enough room to make decisions. The battlefield does not allow for time to think. Besides, other compelling situation in which the military has a direct involvement is also not a good venue to ponder about issues (Perry, 2004). The greatest dilemma here is whether to do what is wrong as commanded or do what is right as an individual consent. As much as soldiers are expected to follow orders, they are, by the principle of morality also expected to be morally responsible for their right. For instance, when an army officer in combat or in life saving situation is ordered to kill civilians, the question is whether to do it or not. Making this decision is one of the greatest dilemmas. As an example, if a soldier is ordered to bomb a hospital or church just because a couple of enemy combatants are hiding there, is it right to kill or maim the innocent civilians just because it is an order? (Rubel, 2006)
Considering the above case scenario, it is significant to note that basically, the morality principles override military orders. However, taking orders is a requirement under military jurisdiction. Though this seems to justify the need to take orders, it violates ethics that guide human conduct. Such a case becomes a ‘catch-22’ especially for a soldier who as much as they want to uphold their moral responsibility, they still needs to remain loyal to rules and regulations guiding their behavior in combat (Rubel, 2006). Nevertheless, it is still a subject under contention. This is because, as presented in the case scenario, if the soldier decides to bomb the hospital or church, innocent lives might be lost and there will be massive loss of property including innocent civilians getting injured to different degrees. (Though the bandits might be killed too or apprehended in that case) On the other, if the soldier decides not to bomb the church or hospital as ordered, it will be treated as disobedience to military law and he might be punished including being dismissed from the barracks. In particular, soldiers are caught in between the two forces undecided between upholding ethical decision making or going against it.
Ethical Conduct in Action
As it has been noted earlier, the battlefield is one zone where little of thinking is done. Soldiers do what is required of them by command. There are some actions that soldiers are forced to do that are a clear violation of the principles of morality (Perry, 2004). Though sometimes they are compelled to do so by law, ethics require that the soldiers should always uphold the morality principle. Taking this case scenario for instance, when enemy combatants have take civilians as hostages, it is hard for a soldier to induce action such as opening fire for fear that he might hurt the civilians. Besides, opening fire might cause the combatants to kill the civilians as an act of revenge or aggression form their side. On the other hand, refraining from opening fire also gives the enemy an upper hand in the combat zone. An upper hand on the enemy side means that the soldiers might eventually lose the battle (Rubel, 2006).
Considering the case scenario above, one can easily not that ethics in the conduct of action by soldiers in the battl...