The empathetic soldier /

"This book shows the contribution that empathy can and should make to the proper conduct of war. US Army doctrine identifies empathy as an essential trait in soldiers; despite this endorsement of senior leaders, empathy's role in the military profession remains obscure. The notion of soldi...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Cutright, Kevin R (Author)
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2022.
Series:War, conflict and ethics.
Subjects:
Description
Summary:"This book shows the contribution that empathy can and should make to the proper conduct of war. US Army doctrine identifies empathy as an essential trait in soldiers; despite this endorsement of senior leaders, empathy's role in the military profession remains obscure. The notion of soldiers empathetically considering others, especially enemies, strikes many as counter to the nature of soldiering. Additionally, confusion caused by differing definitions of empathy often leads to its complete dismissal. This work clarifies the concept by considering recent philosophical, psychological, and neuroscientific research, and demonstrates the relevance of empathy to the tactical and strategic demands of war. Empathy amplifies soldiers' understanding of human actors in an operational environment, enables soldiers' critical and creative thinking, and improves their overall intentions, planning, and assessments of a war's progress. While empathy can make soldiers more susceptible to the psychic wound of moral injury, it also helps prevent and overcome this injury. Instead of dismissing it, soldiers should assimilate empathy into their moral frameworks. This book will be of much interest to students of the ethics of war, psychology, and military studies generally"--
Item Description:"Routledge Focus"--from cover.
Physical Description:120 pages ; 23 cm.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:9781032163413
1032163410
9781032163437
1032163437