Toward a Normative Code for the Military

Abstract

Our perceptions of military ethics in a democracy varies between two extremes, which mark the practical boundaries of an ethical approach toward the military, and toward its ultimate function, the use of military force. This article screens the two positions, attempting to point out the relevant characteristics of each and arguing that both are inadequate for the present citizen-soldier of the armed forces in our democracies. It also points to the shift of responsibilities toward the ranks, resulting from the sophistication of modern weapon systems. It argues, finally, that the lack of a normative working point and the emergence of the new military operator have made a merge of the two, in the present military environment, a desirable and realistic goal.