Virtue Ethics in the Military: An Attempt at Completeness

Differences in Ethical Viewpoints among Civilian–Military Populations: A Survey among Practitioners in Two European Countries, Based on a Systematic Literature Review

“…With an increasing number of armed conflicts and public health emergencies, there have been changes in the response of combatants, and the behavior of civilian population, which together with the shift in crisis standards of care seen and experienced during pandemics, e.g., COVID-19, cause ethically sensitive situations [32]. In these situations, which mandate a multiagency collaboration, staff in various agencies may experience moralities of obligation and aspiration differently versus moral motivation, influenced by rules, identity, virtues, and the diverse roles they play [21,34]. This is likely one reason why the results of this study, although not statistically significant in all investigated areas, still show a trend in diverse ethical viewpoints between the two populations.…”

“…The virtues in military populations and factors influencing the ethical decision-making in civilians might be interpreted and influence the other population differently. Therefore, the exposure of both the civilian and the military staff to fictitious but possible scenarios in this study, and the uncovered similarities and differences in perception and approaches of each cohort, may be used to resolve conflicts [19,21].…”

“…From a military perspective, ethics incorporate concerns about the conduct of war, decisions on how and when to engage in military operations, and issues relating to the moral psychology and care of those who serve and of veterans of military service. These interface with values and virtues [20,21]. Values pertain to important goals or duties, often based on ideas of what is good and evil.…”

“…Virtues, on the other hand, refer to several characteristics that help the soldiers to act in a technically and morally appropriate way. According to de Vries, there are seven virtues of character in military praxis, which create an internal good, resulting in virtues [21]. Tasks provide satisfaction and result in responsibility.…”

“…Armed conflict, as well as disasters, represent chaotic events characterized by limited resources, the continuous need to choose between difficult options, and multiagency involvement [17,18,[22][23][24][25]. In these situations, characteristics like responsibility and accountability are exercised under unpredictable circumstances, affecting the balance between anonymity and accountability [15][16][17][18][19][21][22][23][24][25][26].…”