Leadership and Ethics
Introduction to Moral Reasoning
Lesson # 2
“Will you do what’s right because
it’s the right thing to do?”
1
Next Class: Constitutional Ethics
Can we derive ethics from our laws?
Reading assignment:
Moral Foundations: Chapter II, pages 63 – 80
(especially 75 – 80.
Case Study: Come Right (pg 35)
2
First Stop For Today
“Scan Pgs 9-11”
The story is fictional, but based on the real
speech given by this man;
CO of 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment
3
Here’s what he really said..
We go to liberate, not to conquer.
We will not fly our flags in their country
We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own.
Show respect for them.
There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly.
Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send.
As for the others, I expect you to rock their world.
Wipe them out if that is what they choose.
But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.
Iraq is steeped in history.
It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham.
Tread lightly there.
You will see things that no man could pay to see
-- and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis.
You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing.
Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country.
Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives
was brought by you.
If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they
did not plan to die this day.
Allow them dignity in death.
Bury them properly and mark their graves.
It is my foremost intention to bring every single one of you out alive.
But there may be people among us who will not see the end of this campaign.
We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back.
There will be no time for sorrow.
4
The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful
destruction.
There are many regional commanders who have stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell
for Saddam.
He and his forces will be destroyed by this coalition for what they have done.
As they die they will know their deeds have brought them to this place. Show them no pity.
It is a big step to take another human life.
It is not to be done lightly.
I know of men who have taken life needlessly in other conflicts.
I can assure you they live with the mark of Cain upon them.
If someone surrenders to you then remember they have that right in international law and ensure
that one day they go home to their family.
The ones who wish to fight, well, we aim to please.
If you harm the regiment or its history by over-enthusiasm in killing or in cowardice, know it is
your family who will suffer.
You will be shunned unless your conduct is of the highest -- for your deeds will follow you down through
history.
We will bring shame on neither our uniform or our nation.
(On Saddam's chemical and biological weapons.)
It is not a question of if, it's a question of when.
We know he has already devolved the decision to lower commanders, and that means he has already
taken the decision himself.
If we survive the first strike we will survive the attack.
As for ourselves, let's bring everyone home and leave Iraq a better place for us having been there.
Our business now is north.
5
Pause for Short Discussion
 Why would a combat officer give such a
message before a battle?
 Why should his solders care about the
“dignity” of the enemy?
 Would a man such as this ever
threaten/kill prisoners?
6
From The Times today:
Britain
Post Script…
September 02, 2003
Colonel with the Shakespeare touch is cleared
By Alan Hamilton, David Lister and Adam Fresco
Ministry of Defence officials confirmed yesterday that, after an investigation by the Royal Military
Police into allegations of war crimes, no criminal proceedings would be brought against Colonel
Tim Collins, the former commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment.
“This must be the first time in history a battlefield commander has faced such immediate public
scrutiny. Iraq was, and remains, a dangerous place for the British Army. Colonel Collins brought
his battle group home safely from the war. If this investigation is at an end, he can put it behind
him,” Mr Cherry said.
Now promoted from lieutenant-colonel to full colonel, Colonel Collins, 43, has left The Royal Irish
Regiment and is preparing to take up a new high-level posting. Throughout the three-month
investigation he strenuously denied any wrongdoing.
The Belfast-born, cigar-chomping father of five, who went to war in designer Ray-Ban sunglasses,
achieved instant fame and worldwide admiration for an eloquent eve-of-battle address to his troops
which combined the poetic passion of Shakespeare’s Henry V with the steely directness of General
George Patton.
But Major Re Biastre, 37, a reservist with the US Army’s 402nd Civil Affairs Battalion,
subsequently tried to tarnish Colonel Collins’s image with a five-page statement alleging that
the British officer had beaten, bullied and pistol-whipped Iraqi prisoners of war and civilians
in contravention of the Geneva Convention.
The most serious charge was that Colonel Collins had hit a headmaster, Ayoub Yousif Naser,
over the head in the town of Rumaila near Basra, then lined him and his son against a wall,
ordering a soldier to kill them. The alleged victim subsequently claimed in an interview with 7
The Times that, instead of killing him, British soldiers had approached with bandages to tend
his bleeding head.
Nest Stop - Ring Of Gyges
 Who wrote this?
– Some Trivia:
• When did he live?
• What is his link to Alexander?
 Was it hard to read?
 Who are the characters?
 What is the message?
 Would it make a good movie?
http://movies.virginmedia.com/player/default.asp?url=/film/fid7/tra
ilers/trid8/wm/bb.asx&filmid=7&trid=8&partner=virgin&sec=trl&pse
c=
8
Ring of Gyges (Con’t)
 When are members of our society
invisible?
 In addition to the above, when
are we, in the military, invisible?
–
–
–
–
Independent Duty
Independent Command
Solo flight?
Function Check Flights (FCP)
9
Moral Relativism
Cultural Relativism
Relativism vs. Objectivism
“CHAFF – FLARE – BREAK LEFT”
10
Moral Relativism
What is it?
– There are 2 sentences in the book on “Moral
Relativism” (pg 25)
– For me, Moral Relativism seems to serve as
an introduction to Cultural Relativism.
– Your Comments?
11
Cultural Relativism
 What is it?
 What examples does the book give?
– Callatians
– Eskimos
– Apartheid was mentioned…
 Where have we seen it?
12
Cultural Relativism
Cultural relativism has some rather undesirable
implications:
– It prohibits us from ever morally condemning
another culture’s values and practices.
– It suggests that we need look no further than our
own culture for moral guidance.
13
Cultural Relativism
- Dress Code while on liberty in a foreign port?
- Women participate in a Muslim country?
-Your ideas…..?
- As I was putting this class together, it occurred to
me that I have seen CULTURAL RELATIVISM in
various commands that I have served in.
Example: Liberty in Rota, Spain
Example: Gambling in California
Example: Drunken UDP in Okinawa
Is there “COMMAND RELATIVISM” ?
14
Relativism vs. Objectivism
 We know what RELATIVISM is..
– Now define OBJECTIVISM
 I understood the definition.
…… but I couldn’t think of any good reallife examples
…… so give me a hand and then we’ll
move to the case studies.
15
Case Study #1 - Fiction
 The Raiding Party
– What happened
– What is the morale dilemma?
16
Case Study #1 – The Raiding Party
17
Case Study #2 - Fiction
 Leave No One Behind
• What happened
• What is the dilemma?
• What should you do?
– What would a SEAL do?
– Aviator?
– Other
18
Case Study #3 - Reality
 Operation Eagle Claw
19
Operation Eagle Claw: The Iran Hostage Rescue Mission
April, 1980
- 66 US Hostages in Tehran
- The MC-130s and EC-130s arrived at Desert One after midnight without mishap and
waited for the helicopters, over an hour past their scheduled arrival time. Delta Force
debarked from two of the MC-130s which then, according to plan, departed from the
scene.
- A Ranger team and Delta troopers set up security around the site and immediately
had problems. A bus full of Iranian civilians had to be stopped and detained as it
was passing through, and a fuel truck (probably run by smugglers) was shot
with a 66mm rocket when it refused to stop. In the light of the burning fuel, the
raiders could see the driver escape in a pickup truck which was following the tanker.
20
Case Study #4 - Reality
 Lone Survivor
- Listen to these 2 pages from the book
21
Case Study #5 – Reality
Taking Innocent Life ?
 Killing Zarqawi
 Congratulations; you’ve been awarded and
IA billet and are on the CENTCOM
Targeting Board.
 You’ve got the midnight watch and word
comes down that Zarqawi has been located.
 Lets kill him – NOW!
22
Taking Innocent Life ?
BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 8 — Al Qaeda's
leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi,
was killed in an American airstrike on
an isolated safe house north of
Baghdad at 6:15 p.m. local time on
Wednesday, top American and Iraqi
officials said today. Islamic militant
Web sites linked to Al Qaeda quickly
confirmed the death, saying Mr.
Zarqawi had been rewarded with
"martyrdom" for his role in the war
here.
…… Six people were killed in the
strike: Mr. Zarqawi, his spiritual
adviser and four other people
including a woman and a child, the
military said…….
23
The “Bottom Line”
Our profession requires a distinguished
ethical code.
– It is not always written, nor easy to understand and
execute.
– It is specific, complex, and binding on all who wear the
uniform.
****** Do All Professions Require an Ethical Code?
The Personal Questions:
– What are your values and morals?
– What is your Moral Reference Point for making
decisions?
– How would you deal with your moral conscience …
after dropping the bomb...?
24
Someone Said……
Pope Paul VI:
(1897 – 1978)
 “As long as man remains the weak,
changeable and even wicked being he
often show himself to be, defensive
armaments will, alas, be necessary.”
25
Someone Else Said…
 “One thing I must say to the credit of the
old-fashioned badman. He seldom shot his
victim in the back. He had a certain pride
at arms, a code of craft….
Emmett Dalton:
- Sole Survivor of
the “Dalton Gang”
26
Film clip – “A Few Good Men”
27
From the Film Clip
 A particularly meaningful line…..
 Sea Story
– One time I had to fight for the weak… (sort
of; and it wasn’t much of a fight)
– Have you?
28
“This is the End”
29
Case Studies:
The Raiding Party
Leave No One
behind.
30
Operation Eagle Claw: The Iran Hostage Rescue Mission
April, 1980
- 66 US Hostages in Tehran
- The MC-130s and EC-130s arrived at Desert One after midnight without mishap and
waited for the helicopters, over an hour past their scheduled arrival time. Delta Force
debarked from two of the MC-130s which then, according to plan, departed from the
scene.
- A Ranger team and Delta troopers set up security around the site and immediately
had problems. A bus full of Iranian civilians had to be stopped and detained as it
was passing through, and a fuel truck (probably run by smugglers) was shot
with a 66mm rocket when it refused to stop. In the light of the burning fuel, the
raiders could see the driver escape in a pickup truck which was following the tanker.
31
Taking Innocent Life ?
 Congratulations; you’ve been awarded and
IA billet and are on the CENTCOM
Targeting Board.
 You’ve got the midnight watch….
BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 8 — Al Qaeda's leader in
Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was killed in an
American airstrike on an isolated safe house north
of Baghdad at 6:15 p.m. local time on Wednesday,
top American and Iraqi officials said today. Islamic
militant Web sites linked to Al Qaeda quickly
confirmed the death, saying Mr. Zarqawi had been
rewarded with "martyrdom" for his role in the war
here.
32
…… Six people were killed in the
strike: Mr. Zarqawi, his spiritual
adviser and four other people
including a woman and a child, the
military said…….
33
Questions ?
34
Why is Ethics So Hard?
 Not always a distinct choice between good and evil
– Most difficult choice: “two rights”
 Morality Changes
– Is this true?
 Making An Ethical Decision
– Limitations of time and knowledge = “PRESSURE”
– One of my favorite Patton Quotes…….
“NO DECISION IS DIFFICULT ONCE YOU HAVE ALL THE
INFORMATION”
 Emotions Play A Role In Ethics
– Give me an example…..
35
If I only had more information..!
36
Tangible – Solid
More of What Reading Said
• The Challenge of Cultural Relativism
– Most Interesting of all the Reading
• Eskimo Story, female circumcise story, polygamy…other practices..?
• Relativism and Objectivism: Are There Universal Values?
– “There is no good thing or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
– Objectivism is….
• Ethical Pluralism: An Alternative to Objectivism and Relativism
– “There is an in-between…”
– Tough read…..
• Moral Standards and Military Leadership
– Lead By example…
• Case Studies for Later Discussion:
– No One Left Behind
– The Raid
37
Tangible – Solid
What the Reading Said
 Take Away’s From Today’s Reading:
• PAGE SIZE OF THESE BOOKS IS DECEPTIVE!
• Introduction: Ethics And the Military In America
– My Favorite Line: “…many Cadets or Midshipmen share moral attitudes in
common with their age group…”
• On The Eve of Battle
– Give me a hand on this one….
• The Ring of Gyges
– This would make a good movie!
–
http://movies.virginmedia.com/player/default.asp?url=/film/fid7/trailers/trid8/wm/bb.asx&film
id=7&trid=8&partner=virgin&sec=trl&psec=
• Why Ethics Is So Hard?
– My favorite line: “What I am about to do is not so smart…”
• The Relativity of Moral Beliefs and Situations
– 3 Page Into – favorite line “When in Rome, Do As the Romans”
38
Intangible “Squishy”
Interpretation of the Reading
The Three Moral Measurements put fourth
in the readings….
1.
2.
3.
39
More Intangible…
Ethics Questions
 We know the right answer; but how did we
get there?
 In ethics there are often no right answers (?)

There are wrong answers though!!
• Example of a wrong ethical answer?
40
Questions, issues, considerations
•What is the right thing to do?
o How do we decide?
o What moral theories do we use?
o What are the moral considerations?
•Why do we do the right thing?
o Consequences? Punishment? Rewards?
Peer pressure?
o Because it is our duty?
o Just because it’s right?
o Why is it (usually) harder to do the right
thing?
•What are our Rights in the Military?
o From where do we get our rights?
o Do we give up or suspend rights to be in the
military?
o What if we were drafted? How does that
change this?
o When do we forfeit our right to life?
•How does loyalty effect your moral decisions?
o Peer loyalty, loyalty to superiors and your
mem and women
o Loyalty above all, except for honor?
As a person, what is the source of your
moral obligation?
• Your faith?
• Your beliefs (natural law)?
• Your sense of (moral) duty?
•As a military officer, what is the (distinct) source
your moral obligation?
• Your Oath?
• Your honor and service to your country?
• Your legal commitment?
• Your moral commitment?
• Your obedience to orders? Loyalty?
• What is our obligation to speak the truth?
• What is our obligation when given
an immoral or illegal order?
• How do you deal with your moral conscience
if ordered to do something that may go
against your morals?
o You need to use some sound moral reasoning
o Is following orders enough of a justification?
o Loyalty to your shipmates, service?
oWho do we target?
o Who has forfeited their right to life?
41
Kantian
Buddhist
Muslim
Consequentiality
Relativist
Sin
OUR
MORAL
THEORY
Utilitarian
OUR
RELIGION
Natural
Law
Christian
Kill
Another
Person
Work
On
Sabbath
Kill
Someone
Collateral
Injury of
Civilians
Judaism
Abortion
Case
Shoot the
Prisoner
Follow
orders
Kill
Someone
Constitutional
Oath
OUR
MISSION
Hit the target
42
 An adolescent boy scout, fighting on
the side of the Buddhist rebels,
stands in the street during the Da
Nang Buddhist Insurrection, 1966.
The Buddhist uprising against Prime
Minister Nguyen Cao Ky's
government was assisted by ARVN
troops. Ky declared the city to be
under communist control despite the
presence of a US Marine battalion
that was stationed there. 1000 South
Vietnamese Marines were sent in to
crush the uprising.
43
Film clip – “Rules of Engagement”
44
Moral condition of the U.S.
Who Is This? What Does He Have To Say About Morals?
E xc e l l e n t
1
Gallup 6-9 May 2002
Good
17
O n ly F a ir
41
Poor
40
N o o p in io n
1
0
10
20
Percent
30
40
50
CAPT Corky Vazquez
NE203
Fall 2002
45
From the film clip
 Is this clip relevant… or too distant?
 If it is relevant, what is the take-away?
46
Lets’s See What a Modern Thinker
Has To Say….
 Who is this guy….?
 Michael Ignatieff, M.P., Ph.D.
– Born May 12, 1947 in Toronto
– Is a public intellectual, historian and social
philosopher. He has held academic positions at
Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard.
– In 2005, he entered politics and is now Deputy Leader
of the Liberal Party of Canada.\
 What he says is….
47
Dr. Michael Ignatieff at USNA 1999
48