"As an officer in the Armed Forces of the United States, you are a citizen-soldier, a warrior in the profession of arms, a member of a skilled profession, an unwavering defender of the Constitution and a servant of the Nation. A leader of character, you accept unmitigated personal responsibility and accountability to duty, for your actions and those of your subordinates. ” ( The Armed Forces Officer , ch. 1)

Our government and our fellow citizens place a “special trust and confidence” in members of the military. America relies on its military to serve as guardians of the rights and freedoms guaranteed in our Constitution. As such, military professionals, particularly within the officer corps, are expected not only to be experts in the execution and management of state violence, but also to internalize and model the values ​​that our Constitution represents. Upon commissioning, you will be expected not only to keep your promise to “support and defend” the Constitution, but also to be persons of character and morally worthy of praise.  

The purpose of NE203--the Yard's core ethics course--is to prepare you to fulfill the special moral obligations inherent in your commission and your oath of office. You should come away from this course with a deeper appreciation for the moral complexities of officership, a richer understanding of the ethical demands of combat leadership, a basic understanding of classical and contemporary thought in moral philosophy, and a roadmap for putting moral theory to work in the service of practical moral reasoning.   

Our course is structured around four major themes. The first, is moral perception. During this block of instruction, we consider how we perceive the moral world and factors that may bias or interfere with that perception. Second, we turn to moral deliberation and the central question of moral philosophy: “what is the right thing to do?” Our third major theme, moral excellence, focuses on character and virtue. Finally, we explore the Just War Tradition and consider how we can fight and win with honor.