Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | A | Academic Exchange Quarterly

Civic education and use of force.

Article Excerpt
Abstract

It is imperative that citizens in a democracy be educated on topics related to the use of force, particularly critical thinking and ethical decision making, in order to fulfill their role in the democratic process. We believe that the way we in the United States educate our military, especially senior officers, provides a model for civilian education on national security issues. Moreover, we believe that the officers we educate at the War College level are an underutilized resource for character development education in the communities in which they live and serve.

Introduction

Although Americans historically shun a large standing military, they consistently list their armed forces among their most respected government institutions--even when confidence in those institutions overall is down (The Harris Poll #4, 2003). One reason for this may be the emphasis placed on character development throughout a military career; thus, when public attention turns to character development education, military practices might logically be of interest.

Few public decisions are as momentous as the decision to go to war, and for a "government of the people, by the people, [and] for the people," it is essential that all the people--those who will risk their lives in such enterprise and those who will participate in the democratic processes leading to it--possess the critical thinking, ethical decision making, and lifelong learning competencies to faithfully discharge their roles. While this need may at one level be obvious, a compelling explanation of the political dynamic underlying it is provided by the 19th century German strategist, Carl yon Clausewitz. In his classic treatise, On War, Clausewitz describes war as being governed by a "trinity" of distinct and balancing forces: the passions of the people, the creativity of the military, and the rational calculus of the government with regard to the policy aims for which war is being pursued (Clausewitz, 1832, 89). Clearly, when this is understood within the context of a democracy, it is especially dangerous for each of these forces to think only of its own domain--for ultimately, the people are the government; should they not possess the education and skills to evaluate the policy arguments they hear (in effect, exercising their governmental role) the Clausewitzian "passion" (which may run either for or against war) has the potential to infect and disable the rational consideration of national interests.

At the nexus of government with the military "leg" of the trinity, the role of balance in a democracy is equally clear--and has long been understood within the American system. A military that did not possess sound ethics, civic virtue, and strong character as its bedrock would be a danger to the very society it was...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!