NE 203: Ethics & Moral Reasoning for Naval Leaders
Virtue and the Reaper
Can the aviators flying remote piloted aircraft (RPAs) cultivate the virtue of practice through the performance of their military task? It seems self-evident that engaging in, say, close quarters combat is not for the faint-hearted. In much that frontline fighters are required to do, the martial virtues of courage, resilience, bearing, and prowess are clearly essential.
The RPA crew, on the other hand, often strike their target from thousands of miles away, sitting in a no-risk air conditioned box in a secure base safely tucked into the American landscape. Does that require courage? Does that require any of the martial virtues?
In what ways will future warfare challenge our understanding of the military profession? It's important to realize that this question has been asked whenever new technologies have shaken contemporary assumptions about the nature of war and the warfighter--whether at the advent of the longbow or todays's remote piloted systems. Our discussion of the RPA community gives us a bird's eye view of these important questions.
WATCH THIS (Optional)
Historic overview of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle program:
Listen to this:
Radio Stockdale: Michael Sears and Jeff Voight talk Remote Piloted Aircraft
Reflect on these questions:
- How do new developments in modern warfare change or challenge old ideas about the virtues, especially regarding courage and the military professional?
- What kind of heroism or courage can an RPA display?
- What do you think are the broader ethical questions surrounding the use of remote piloted platforms? How do you address those concerns?
