This observation has been received from Capt Suraj James Rebeira, a Navigation and Direction specialist, on the article ‘Ethical Friction in the Fog of War: A Study of Ethical Conduct in Warfare’ written by RAdm AD Nair, VSM published in the Indian Naval Despatch Monsoon 2022 Edition (pp 20-33)
The true story of Commander (later Vice Admiral) James Bond Stockdale, USN sets the tone and basis on which RAdm AD Nair in his article, poses the fundamental question of whether all leaders today are ethically prepared to face unpredictable combat challenges in future. In doing so, the author analyses how laws of armed conflict have evolved with examples from history. He goes on to draw parallels between Indian traditions with that of western theories. The need for ethical conduct in battle is mandated by every soldier and the article suggests what could be done better to imbibe this quality through military education as well as training.
There is a subtle difference between ‘ethical dilemmas,’ where it is hard to find out what the right thing to do is, and ‘tests of integrity,’ where it is hard to do the obvious right. This difference demands not only clarity but also an in-depth understanding by all military leaders. Often the two are mixed up and with more years served in uniform, the acceptable ‘Lakshman Rekha’ on ‘tests of integrity’ may either get blurred or might shift conveniently, underpinned with a sense of entitlement which comes along with rank. While maintaining the highest integrity is a given and pre-requisite in the military, it requires constant self-restraint and conscientiousness in practice. On the other hand, the art of resolving ‘ethical dilemmas,’ the author says, is honed with education and by continued focused readings. The author suggests that ‘ethics can be taught and learnt at any stage,’ and emphasis on such education is necessary at every phase of any military career.
The understanding of western ethical concepts of deontology, consequentialism and virtue ethics through the lens of Indian traditions is an interesting read in the article. In doing so, he quotes Ramayana, Mahabharata and Arthashastra to better understand these western concepts, but also throws caution, to be not over-interpreted by young officers, considering that some of our writings are on matters of state-craft and not purely on ethical conduct. The author suggests the use of ‘ethical triangulation,’ which carefully balances these three concepts, superimposed with practical wisdom which is equally essential to arrive at sound ethical decisions.
Meanwhile, it may be of some value to readers that the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) published its first edition of the ‘Military Ethics’ doctrine in September 2021, with the purpose of it being a foundational document for an ethics continuum, individual education and training. In its aim, the document states that “while authoritative, the doctrine requires judgement in application.” Is there a need for such a document in the Indian Navy? The jury is out on this question, but it is opined that healthy debate based on sound knowledge and understanding of ethical theories is essential for us in the military. That said, any discussion on ethics could perhaps tilt heavily towards a subjective understanding, unless such publications (e.g., ADF doctrine) articulate what the organisation expects across all levels.
In the Indian Navy, the Centre for Leadership, Ethics and Behavioural Studies (CELABS) is the cradle where formal education on ethics and leadership commences, and the author in this article rightly identifies, that there is a need to overcome the ‘blink and you miss it’ approach during mid and senior level refresher capsules. Experiential learning through ‘flipped classroom’ and gaming are models that have been introduced at CELABS, and could intangibly inculcate desired behavioural conduct. Meanwhile, as the author queried, are our Academies shaping young cadets suitably to face future ethical challenges? Do we have scientific methods to inject the right kind of behaviour education to prepare our officers across all levels to make the hard choices between ‘right and right’ and the ‘right and wrong’? There is, of course, adequate room for introspection and scope to alter course to avoid shoal waters.
