James H. Toner

Access Type

Online access to this book is only available to eligible users.

Download

Download Full Text (12.3 MB)

Description

James Toner argues that the cardinal virtues are and must be the core values of the military. By embracing these values, the profession of arms serves as a moral compass in an increasingly confusing age. Building upon a bold introduction, which includes what many will regard as a surprising view of military ethics, Toner examines the four cardinal virtues—wisdom, courage, temperance, and justice—and places each in the context of a compelling case study from recent U.S. military history. He discusses the Flinn Case, the Lavelle Affair, a B-52 crash in Washington State, and the courageous actions of Hugh Thompson after My Lai. Morals Under the Gun connects ethics and moral theology with the armed services, demonstrating that the task of preserving virtue, both personal and professional, is a noble, if imperfectible, task.

A call to arms to make the understanding of the profession of arms understood in our country. -- Books-On-Line

Makes the case that the cardinal virtues are what delineate the ethic of a soldier from the judiciousness of civilian ethical maxims. -- Seapower

Virginia Quarterly Review Devoted to establishing the relevance of this well-timed and well-meaning advice. . . . Topical, instructive, and thought-provoking. -- USI Journal

Publication Date

2000

Publisher

The University Press of Kentucky

Place of Publication

Lexington, KY

ISBN

9780813191355

eISBN

9780813148847

Keywords

Military ethics, Cardinal virtues, U.S. military, American military

Disciplines

Military and Veterans Studies

Morals under the Gun: The Cardinal Virtues, Military Ethics, and American Society
Read Sample Off-campus Download for UK only

Consortium members may access while on their campus.

Share

COinS