The ethical code of a profession is commonly said to be justified by the values of the society it serves. Those who analyze professional codes often claim that if this is so, it is a necessary condition that the professional code be consistent with the value system of the society that generated the particular professional organization. Justification is particularly significant when members of the profession claim moral prerogatives or recognize moral restrictions on their actions that do not app…
Read moreThe ethical code of a profession is commonly said to be justified by the values of the society it serves. Those who analyze professional codes often claim that if this is so, it is a necessary condition that the professional code be consistent with the value system of the society that generated the particular professional organization. Justification is particularly significant when members of the profession claim moral prerogatives or recognize moral restrictions on their actions that do not apply to members of society in general. Such professional codes and the social roles to which they apply can be said to be differentiated. ;The thesis of this dissertation states that the role of the military professional in American society is a morally coherent, partially differentiated role that is rationally justifiable within the context of American society. To establish this thesis, certain supporting positions are argued. First, the American military does indeed constitute a profession. Second, though uncodified, a specific professional ethic has been developed and promulgated in the American military, and that ethic is accurately articulated as it is presented in this discussion. Third, there are no basic inconsistencies among the three major influences that have shaped the American professional military ethic : the functional exigencies of military activity, the values of American society, and the laws of war. Fourth, charges of moral incoherence which have been made against the laws of war by critics such as Richard Wasserstrom have not been substantiated. This point is particularly significant in that the laws of war have been incorporated into the American PME. Lastly, to be a justified professional ethic, the American PME cannot be fully differentiated , and, whenever applied, it must maintain a relationship with the American value system in which the fundamental moral values of that system function as a boundary condition. Only if such a constraint is accepted can the American value system and the functional exigencies reflected in the PME be rendered consistent