The Strategic Significance of Ethical Imperatives

Abstract

The theoretical discourse in civil–military relations tends to perpetuate the notion that efficiency of military organizations is often negatively affected by the influence of domestic ideological factors. Societal norms are frequently portrayed as antithetical to the functional imperatives of the military. This article questions this notion and argues that an effective form of military organization can be produced by incorporating ethical norms of domestic society into its defense organization. To understand the role of societal ethical imperatives in defense policy, the Kantian model of societal–military relations is introduced here. This model emphasizes the normative character of military missions and suggests that its effective fulfillment requires an institutional culture consistent with such a mission. This is demonstrated in the case studies of West German rearmament and the post–Cold War transformation of the Bundeswehr. These empirical cases demonstrate that the societal ethical norms should be considered integral to military functional requirements.