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This book provides an introduction to the real-life ethical issues faced by those serving in modern military forces. With its focus on the practical problems facing those in positions of command, it is of particular relevance to prospective military officers at military academies. The book is also appropriate for Ethics of War and Military Ethics courses at non-military undergraduate programs in philosophy and ethics. The book includes more than fifty specially
selected case studies, many previously unpublished. These cases enable students to examine, in real and understandable situations, the ethical problems which military personnel face in modern operations.
About the author
Dr. Stephen Coleman is Senior Lecturer in Ethics and Leadership & Vincent Fairfax Foundation Fellow in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of NSW, Canberra, at the Australian Defence Force Academy. He is the author of one book (The Ethics of Artificial Uteruses: Implications for Reproduction and Abortion, Ashgate, 2004) and many papers in academic journals and edited collections on a diverse range of topics in applied ethics, including military ethics, police ethics, medical ethics, and the practical applications of human rights.
Summary
Military Ethics: An Introduction with Case Studies provides an accessible introduction to the ethical issues faced by today's junior and mid-ranking military personnel. Offering an exceptionally practical perspective, it includes more than fifty engaging case studies--personal, historical, and fictional accounts--that give students a birds-eye view of various real-world ethical dilemmas. Opening with an introduction to ethics and an overview of ethical theory, the book goes on to discuss ethical problems related to: the use and misuse of power and authority; discrimination and proportionality in traditional conflicts, irregular wars, and humanitarian military interventions; supreme emergency, terrorism, and responses to terrorism; and much more.
Military Ethics is enhanced by suggestions for further reading, an abbreviation key, an extensive bibliography, and an appendix including a list of the international treaties that make up the Law of Armed Conflict. A companion website at www.oup.com/us/coleman features lecture notes, additional case studies, and discussion questions.
