Ethics Education for Irregular Warfare

In "Ethics Education in the Military" (eds. Paul Robinson, Nigel de Lee and Don Carrick: Ashgate 2008) the contributing authors surveyed and critically analysed the existing theory and practice of educating soldiers, sailors and airmen in the ethics of 'old fashioned' warfaring. This volume considers the extent to which such theory and practice is adequate to prepare members of the military to meet the more complex ethical challenges faced when engaging in irregular warfare in the 21st century. Authors address issues of major and ongoing importance for military personnel of Western states. In recent years, events in Iraq and Afghanistan have highlighted the requirement that such personnel, drawn from the armed forces of many different countries, should behave in an ethical manner at all times. Public and political interest in such matters is intense, and the behaviour of armed forces personnel is the subject of unrelenting media scrutiny. Consequently, efforts to improve the ethical education of military personnel have acquired a high priority. Contributors to this book comprise academics and practitioners from various disciplinary backgrounds, several of whom are serving or former military officers and most of whom are actively engaged in ethics education. Therefore they hope that their contributions will advance the theoretical understanding of different approaches to ethics education, and provide practical conclusions on a vital policy issue.