Description
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewThis fine book is no diatribe but a careful conceptual and moral analysis of the problem the civil-military divide and its moral cost. * Choice *
Outsourcing Duty tackles the moral issues that arise in countries where it is possible for a large majority of citizens to avoid military service and to isolate themselves from the risks and the moral responsibilities that soldiers face. * Alexander Riley, Chronicles *
In compelling detail, Outsourcing Duty describes the moral exploitation of American soldiers by citizens who profess to "support the troops" but are derelict in the performance of their own civic duties. It is a profound, persuasive, and deeply troubling book. * Andrew Bacevich, author of After the Apocalypse: America's Role in a World Transformed *
Outsourcing Duty is the first serious and detailed analysis of the ways in which societies and governments expose their soldiers to moral as well as physical risks. The authors, both philosophers with backgrounds in the military, argue that when soldiers are compelled to fight in wars about which they are given little information, they must take responsibility for life and death decisions that involve a grave risk of wrongdoing. Because burdening them in this way is a form of exploitation in which the citizens in a democracy are implicated, this powerful book poses challenges to all of us that demand a response. * Jeff McMahan, White's Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Oxford *
This new volume takes up a critical issue in military ethics and national security: the nature of the moral sacrifices that we ask of our uniformed members and whether the burdens they willingly assume are reasonable. The authors address the nature of the problem and provide needed insights and solutions in an excellent, clearly argued, and accessible read. A must read for all those concerned with morality, justice, civilian/military relations and moral injury. * Pauline Shanks Kaurin, James B Stockdale Chair in Professional Military Ethics and Professor, US Naval War College *
Table of ContentsForeword by Nancy Sherman Introduction Chapter 1: Exploitation vs. Moral Exploitation Chapter 2: The Moral Exploitation of Soldiers Chapter 3: Soldier, Citizen, and State Chapter 4: Connections Chapter 5: Prescriptions Conclusion Epilogue by Cheyney Ryan Appendix: Criticisms, Questions, & Responses Bibliography Index
