The Political Role of Officers
Abstract
In modern democracies, the supremacy of civilian authority has usually translated into military withdrawal from the political field. Meanwhile, in today s world, public action s efficiency demands interconnected policies and comprehensive strategies. If the Armed Forces rely on individual discretionary judgements for the service of society, ethics has to inform soldiers on clear and sustainable boundaries for the military s competence, primarily vis a vis the political. This thesis will assess the relationship between soldiers and politics, and bring some guidelines to how uniformed service members shall consider their participation in the political decision making process. The essence of politics can be defined through three main dialectics. The first dialectic is between friend and enemies and determines the actual existence of a collectivity as a political entity. The second dialectic between command and obedience enables a collective order to emerge. Finally, the third dialectic, between public and private, sets the principles of public life within a particular society, and defines interactions between individual opinions and public decisions. While fundamental to politics, these three dialectics are also at the heart of a soldier s vocation. Indeed, the soldier has a political role. He actualizes the possibility of confrontation and he embodies the ordered collective will of the country to survive as a political entity, often at the expense of individual interests. Rather than clear limits, this role is delineated by moving boundaries and the limitation to the soldier s political commitment ultimately rests in the soldier s judgment. Because the three dialectics define the soldier s role on the political stage, they also bound the purpose of the military and provide some guidance for military personnel, to assist in judging how to participate in the nation s public life.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 12, 2015
- Accession Number
- ADA623281
Entities
People
- Bertrand Epstein
Organizations
- United States Army Command and General Staff College