The Questions of the Class…
What is Right?
How do YOU Decide?
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What is Right?
How do you decide?
Future Ensigns & Lieutenants…
What do you think???
• What is Right? How do you decide?
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What is the moral dilemma?
What are my moral obligations?
What are my legal obligations?
Do my religious beliefs conflict w/ my obligations?
Where are my loyalties? Are they right?
• Why does the right thing seem wrong sometimes?
• Can I live with the decision for the rest of my life?
• Is it usually harder to do the right thing? WHY???
Course Themes
Leadership
Ethical Decision
Making
Professional
Development
Course Admin & ROE
(Rules of Engagement)
• Food / Drink
• Attendance
– Be on time & Participate
• Do the Reading & Review
Objectives
• Current Events
• Discussions
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Let people finish
Be respectful
Challenge Ideas; not people
Make comments relevant
Actively listen
It’s OK to think before answering
Non Attribution
Be capable of
facilitating class
sessions.
Ethics Essay
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Approved topic relating to leadership & ethics
3000-3500 words (body…not bib, index, etc.)
Naval War College format
Proposal due by 31 Jan
Draft Review on 23 Feb – 13 Mar
Paper due 22 March
Identify & discuss an ethical leadership
challenge facing Junior Officers in the
Fleet/FMF
• Develop recommendations to address the
challenge using course concepts
http://www.usnwc.edu/getattachment/Departments---Colleges/Joint-Military-Operations/NWC-Writing---Style-Guide-20071.pdf.aspx
1-Page Point Paper
• Address assigned case study
or reading
• Use prescribed format
– Format posted on unit Website
• One page ONLY
• Tests ability to communicate
salient points and make
recommendations in a
powerful, concise document
• 5 pts toward final grade
• Due 23 February
Another critical junior officer skill…
Ethics Presentation
• Group project
– Groups of 3-4
– Group assignments on 27 Jan
– 29 Mar or 3 April
• Address Current Military Ethics Issue
• Presentation (10% of grade)
– 15 minute presentation to class
– 5 minutes for questions
– Peer ranking
Briefing skills are critical for every warfare specialty
Quizzes and Homework
• Quizzes will be taken
from assigned readings
• Announced or
Unannounced
• Total of 10% of grade
Case Studies
• Why Use Them?
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Become aware of the kinds of moral conflicts you may face
Improves your ability to reason about certain circumstances
Helps you choose wisely when confronted with a moral crisis
Helps clarify the core values of the Military profession
• How To Use them
– Study the scenario and it’s details
– Picture yourself in that situation
– Determine:
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What’s the dilemma?
What options or choices are there?
What are the outcome/ramifications of your actions/inactions?
What’s the right thing to do?
How do you decide – based on what?
Fleet Standards
• Treat you like a junior officer in
the wardroom or battalion.
• Give your best to each
assignment
• Writing and speaking are
critical skills for a Junior Officer
• Successful officers don’t do
just “good enough” to get by…
Who is right?
If free, educated, rational people can be so fundamentally opposed…
...Because it’s not always
black and white…
…And it’s not always easy!
Maybe we are seen as different…?
Ouch!
Consequences of Bad Ethics…
10,000
of
these…
…can’t
make up
for 1
of these!
Frame work for
Ethical Decision-Making
1. Identify the problem.
2. Specify feasible alternatives.
3. Use your ethical resources to identify
morally significant factors in each
alternative.
4. Propose and test possible
resolutions.
5. Make your Choice.
Bottom Line
During your time in NROTC, and undoubtedly before
your life as a midshipman, you have experienced many
styles of leadership and you have had first-hand experience
practicing leadership with your peers and juniors.
Are you ready to lead Sailors and Marines in combat?
Final Thoughts…
Next Class: Why Study Ethics?
Intro to Moral Reasoning
Reading Assignment
Objectives from reading:
EMP (28 pages)
Recognize factors that make ethics hard
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Why Study Ethics? (Lucas), pp. 3-7; On
the Eve of Battle (Lucas), pp. 9-11; Ring
of Gyges (Plato), pp. 13-14; Why Ethics
is So Hard (Grassey), pp. 15-19; A
Higher Moral Standard for the Military
(Ficarrotta), pp. 33-43; The American
Profesional Military Ethic (Hartle), pp.
63-70.
CSME (8 pages)
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Introduction (Rubel), pp. xv-xvii;
Rescuing the Boat People (Rubel), pp.
13-15.
HANDOUT (2 pages)
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USS San Jacinto Press Release
Understand the pervasiveness of the
psychological motivation of self
interest.
Questions to answer:
On the Eve of Battle
Why did Col give this pre-battle
speech?
Ring of Gyges
What would most people do with
the ring? Why?
Why Ethics is so Hard
What are the factors the author
identifies that make ethical
decision making hard?
Compare article to “Selective
Unmasking” & “Boat People” case
study
What factors were common?
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