Sean Powell

Virtue ethics seems to be intertwined to the very fabric of Marine Corps leadership development, yet I have not seen it referred to by name in any doctrinal publication or formal schoolhouse curriculum. It permeates everything from our Leadership Traits to the NCO Creed, yet I have not seen virtue ethics given the credit it is due. I argue that because we regularly quote military strategists, cite military commanders from all of human history, and rightly use real life leadership examples in much of our Professional Military Education we should also give virtue ethics a formal place in the Marine Corps leadership lexicon.