Chapter 16. Moral Dynamics In Culture Centric Warfare

Abstract

In the context of both culture and military ethics, research has recently been conducted for the British Ministry of Defence by this author with others, namely Understanding Adversary Cultures and Understanding Ethical Principles in the Armed Forces. This chapter explores the conflicts and differences between cultures, leading to the phenomenon of culture centric warfare, and how security can be maintained and enhanced by military action. Politics can be linked and interrelated with religions; which in turn are related with national cultures; then with national military cultures; through to military professionalism; and referring back to national and international politics. The relationship between national culture and military culture is comprised of an appreciable number of domestic facts and factors which may be relatively static or else dynamic. Keywords: culture centric warfare; international politics; military culture; military ethics; military professionalism; national cultures