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Abstract

This paper presents military ethics as one of the branches of ethics. The aim of the article is to answer the questions: What are military ethics, morality and ethics? It defines the factors influencing the moral values of behavior, moral norms, the so-called “moral philosophy” and more.
It is worth noting that the terms “morality” and “ethics” are often used interchangeably. On the one hand, it does not matter which term we use, as in everyday conversation, these words substitute for each other, and people generally understand the intended meaning in a given context. Even philosophers working in this specific field frequently use these terms interchangeably.
Military personnel have their own set of rules and codes of conduct, and - except in very serious cases, disciplinary issues are typically addressed within the professional framework.
It is noteworthy that while in the civilian sphere people may claim to face ethical dilemmas, true ethical dilemmas in real life are relatively rare. In a military career, however, encountering complex ethical dilemmas is highly likely. This happens more often during wartime because service members are required to make decisions on how to comply with the laws of war, adhere to the rules of engagement, protect themselves and accomplish their mission. Additionally, ethical challenges arise in many other aspects of military life, whether during war or peace.
Ethics and high moral standards are closely tied to an individual’s character. To be a virtuous person, one must possess an ethic of virtue. Virtues are reliable habits that become ingrained in a person’s identity. These habits transform and direct individuals toward goodness. Many organizations, including defense forces, emphasize specific virtues that they believe are valuable for the organization. These values are declared as the organization’s core values.
In this paper, we have attempted to illustrate the potential consequences of ethical mistakes made by military personnel, how a leader can create a healthy ethical environment within their organization, what contextual and situational factors must be considered for this purpose and so on.