The Empathetic Soldier

This book explores the role of empathy in the military, highlighting its importance for proper conduct of war. It clarifies the concept through research in philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience and demonstrates how it enhances soldiers' understanding, critical thinking, and moral injury prevention. It is of interest to students of ethics of war, psychology, and military studies.

Format: Hardback
Length: 120 pages
Publication date: 07 February 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book delves into the profound impact that empathy can and should have on the conduct of war, a topic that has been largely overlooked in the military profession. While the US Army doctrine recognizes empathy as an essential trait in soldiers, its role in the military remains somewhat enigmatic. The notion of soldiers empathizing with their enemies, particularly in the context of warfare, may seem contradictory to the nature of soldiering. Furthermore, the confusion surrounding different definitions of empathy often leads to its outright dismissal.

To address these challenges, this work conducts a comprehensive exploration of recent philosophical, psychological, and neuroscientific research to clarify the concept of empathy. It demonstrates how empathy can enhance soldiers' understanding of human actors within an operational environment, foster critical and creative thinking, and improve 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 possesses the potential to prevent and overcome this injury. Instead of disregarding empathy, soldiers should integrate it into their moral frameworks.

This book will be of immense interest to students of the ethics of war, psychology, and military studies, as it offers valuable insights into the role of empathy in shaping the conduct of warfare. By examining the latest research and integrating empathy into soldiers' moral frameworks, this book aims to contribute to a more ethical and effective approach to conflict resolution.

Weight: 278g
Dimension: 223 x 145 x 14 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032163413