Moral experience may be parsed at different levels of abstraction. We might work variously at the level of meta-ethical reflection; normative ethics; the principles, doctrines, and character traits of everyday morality; or the sometimes simple, sometimes messy, business of actual moral judgment. We should strive to be clear with our students (and ourselves) about the differences between these levels and the hazards of crudely conflating them.

This entry explores the concept of moral relativism, examines and finds wanting various arguments that have been offered to support its most robust forms, and concludes with some modest concessions to the relativist's program.

This essay explores and partially debunks claims about higher moral standards for all aspects of a military professionals' lives. Using a functional approach, I develop a more restricted but also more defensible version of the claim.

In this essay I explore the concept of careerism in military service, identify what's wrong with it, and suggest several ways to thwart some of its contributing causes.

In assigning the benefits and burdens of society, we sometimes discriminate using a broad category (age, gender, race, etc.) we think correlates well with the possession of some other skill, qualification, or character trait. In this essay, I explore one rationale for this type of discrimination. I suggest a method for determining when this rationale provides a moral justification for the discrimination, and when it does not. I defend the method against some potential criticisms, and point out some exceptions to (...) its application. (shrink)

Assume that military professionals should have the right to exercise selective conscientious objection (SCO). Implementing policies and programs to facilitate the right to SCO would be tricky. This essay offers suggestions for how to proceed.

This is a collection of essays on various issues in military ethics, undertaken by the author in a broadly Kantian spirit.

Some have claimed that commitment to Marxist theory and doctrine also requires a commitment to a single, global political structure. This essay argues that the claim is mistaken. A Marxist need not be a "globalist" in this sense.

Originally presented to the Manuel Davenport Memorial Conference, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, on 15 September, 2001. In its present form the essay aims primarily to underscore Davenport's good example as a teacher of military ethics, to present several key and unique themes in his work, and to recommend his effective method for approaching problems of military ethics in general.

Unlike in most professions, a license is not required to work as a software engineer. This essay argues software engineers, because they now render an essential service to society, should be licensed in a process that resembles licensing for doctors, lawyers and teachers.

This edited collection contains all the distinguished Reich and McDermott lectures in ethics, delivered at the US Air Force Academy, from 1988 to 1999.

THOMAS A. CAVANAUGH Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006, 256 pp., ISBN 0 199 27219 0 Thomas Cavanaugh has written a fine book and the problem he is struggling with ought to be of great concern to...