Note: all episodes of Ethics and the Naval Warrior have been copied to a new show, "Radio Stockdale". Search on your podcast player for "Radio Stockdale" and hit Subscribe. Hear all of your old Ethics and the Naval Warrior episodes, and many new episodes on Ethics, Character and Leadership on "Radio Stockdale". No new episodes will be posted on this show starting November 1, 2021.
Under what conditions is the state morally justified in waging war? What are the moral responsibilities of those called upon to fight their nation's wars? This podcast introduces just war theory, a scholarly tradition that has evolved over the course of millennia as an ethical guide for the statesmen and combatants who must grapple with these difficult and enormously consequential questions.
A discussion on character, the moral virtues most relevant to aspiring military officers, and how NE203 is structured to help midshipmen learn how to develop their characters.
Moral deliberation involves the filtering and weighing (whether consciously or unconsciously) of relevant moral principles and concepts in order to determine a course of action. In this episode, we consider the novel way that NE203 teaches Moral Deliberation in order to shift our focus from theory to practice.
Moral perception is awareness of the morally relevant features of the world. Many things can get in the way of perceiving the morally salient features of a given situation, our history, our culture, our biases--even being in a hurry. In this episode, we talk about how we consider this important aspect of morality.
Every Midshipman at the Naval Academy takes a course in ethics during their Youngster (Sophomore) year. The course, "Ethics and Moral Reasoning for the Naval Leader", serves as one of the building blocks for Leadership, Character, Ethics and Law, and is a requirement to graduate and be commissioned in the naval service. The course has undergone a major change this year. In this series, we'll be discussing the changes with some of the Professors who led the conversation and building of this new c...
The conduct of war is subject to both moral and legal rules – for example, rules about who is a legitimate target, and who is not. What is the relationship between those moral and legal rules? Should we change the law of war so that its content mirrors the true morality of war? David Lefkowitz is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Richmond. He is the author of a book – Philosophy and International Law: A Critical Introduction - as well as numerous articles and book chapters on topics i...
What are your rights as they are shaped by the 2nd and the 3rd Amendment? What are the colonial Origins and Interpretations of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms? What were Intentions of the Founders, and how and when were they changed? How has the Supreme Court interpreted this right today? Is there a connection between the original intent, and the rights and rulings today?
How did the Founders handle Federalism and State's Rights - that perpetually delicate balance? How does the 14th Amendment address these issues? Our constitution and our way of life remain a great experiment – it is our responsibility as naval officers, and as Americans to understand exactly what the Constitution guarantees to all citizens, and to prove that we truly are all created equal.
What does judicial procedure look like as an accused citizen? What does the right to a speedy trial mean? Are there any limitations to your right to counsel? What is bail, and what is to be considered excessive? Do you know the difference between a jury and a grand jury? Lastly, how are we to understand what “cruel and unusual” really means?
What is the process of being taken into police custody? What happens to you, either as a citizen or a military member once you have been arrested? Everyone has heard of Miranda Rights – do you know where it comes from? What are 31 Bravo Rights? Finally, what is meant by Due Process?
We look at the 4th Amendment. What does the right to privacy mean, and what rights do we have as American citizens to protection from an unreasonable search and seizure? What is the difference between “reasonable” and “unreasonable?” What rights do government actors have, both with and without a warrant? Moreover, how are we to understand what is admissible and what isn’t in a court of law?
We examine Freedom of Religion, as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. This episode is in two parts - created by Madison and his peers: the Establishment Clause, and the Exercise Clause. We ask: what factors led the United States to embrace these concepts? Have we ever been a truly secular nation? How has the relationship between government and religion changed over time? And lastly, how are we to understand freedom of religion as members of the military?
We focus on four of the freedoms guaranteed by the 1st Amendment: Press, Petition, Assembly, and Speech. How are we to understand these freedoms both as citizens, and Naval Officers? What limitations exist to those guaranteed rights? Why is it acceptable for ordinary citizens to burn a flag or wear black armbands protesting war in public schools? When does the government have the right to infringe upon some of those rights, if ever? How are we supposed to understand freedom of expression in the ...
The federal government in the early days of the nation was weak and ineffective. Citizens actually rebelled against the power of the central government by taking up arms. President George Washington knew that he needed to do something. What started as a discussion in Annapolis, ended with a new Constitution. How did the addition of the Bill of Rights impact the ratification of the Constitution? And with these rights, how is Good Order and Discipline in the military and naval service impacted. Ho...
What is the genesis of an Oath of Office that we take when we join the Naval service? Where does General Washington come in and what was his impact on an Oath? What does the Constitution say about an Oath of Office? What does "well and faithfully mean"? Why is this oath different for enlistment?
How does the language of architecture reflect the culture of the Naval Academy? Why does the Yard look the way it does? How do the historic buildings and the siting of them influence the new buildings like Wesley Brown and Hopper Hall? Why is naming so important to the character and ideals for what the Naval Academy's mission is? Sara Phillips is the Architect of the Naval Academy. She is a registered architect in the State of Maryland and has served as the Deputy for Facilities and Construction...
The term “Drone” usually refers to any unpiloted aircraft. But there is more to the story. Sometimes referred to as “Unmanned Aerial Vehicles" (UAVs), these craft can carry out an impressive range of tasks, ranging from military operations to package delivery. They can be as large as an aircraft or as small as the palm of your hand. We discuss why learning about these now is worthwhile, how to get involved, and what may be the future of these vehicles. Jeff Voigt is a Naval Academy graduate, a f...
Brittle Fracture: ENCORE presentation (11:25) Captain TR Buchanan, USN Episode #052 Can a person crack under the pressures that life brings? What are the physics of Brittle Fracture and how does it relate to personal character and integrity? How can you prepare for the stresses of a naval career? Captain TR Buchanan is the 88th Commandant of Midshipmen at the U. S. Naval Academy. A nuclear trained engineer, CAPT Buchanan has commanded the USS ALBANY and was Commodore of Submarine Squadron TWENTY...
What is design thinking and why should we be interested in it? What is the process like? Is it different from traditional brainstorming? Are there real world examples of the Design Thinking approach that worked in the field? Dr. Elizabeth Radziszewski is a Fellow at the Stockdale Center, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and the Master’s program in Homeland Security at Rider University in New Jersey. Her research has been well published on civil wars/insurgencies,...
Who is Augustine and why should we care about what he had to say? What are the experiences in Augustine's life that shaped his thought and writing? Given how long ago Augustine lived, is there anything about his thinking that still affects us today? How did the philosophy of his time, both Stoic and Platonic, affect Augusitne's beliefs? How did Augustine understand ethics? Can we discern a leadership philosophy in Augustine's writings? Captain Joe Mcinerney is also former Chair of the Department...
Coach Ken Niumatalolo is the all-time winningest coach in Navy Football history. His teams have had 10 winning seasons, and they beat Notre Dame . . . 3 times. He is in his 14th season as the Head Coach at the Naval Academy, and his 24th season in Annapolis overall. How does the "Why" of what you do inform the "What" and the "How"? How does your personal history beyond football relate to the sea? As an American of Polynesian descent, how does your upbringing and culture, especially with seagoing...
What's it like to be a Leader in an Academic setting? What can Midshipmen teach, and learn from Professors? How is the Naval Academy Museum supporting the new Wargaming Initiative at Navy? Dr. Claude Berube is a writer, an historian, a professor at the Naval Academy, and a Reserve Naval Intelligence officer. Currently, he is the Director of the Naval Academy Museum.
What is torture, what works and want doesn't work? Is an irregular combatant different from a criminal suspect? What does privilege mean in this context? As a junior officer, how should you expect to be touched by these issues? Dr. Michael Skerker is a professor in the Leadership, Ethics, and Law department at the Naval Academy. His academic interests include professional ethics, just war theory, moral pluralism, theological ethics, and militant jihadism. He has numerous publications, including ...
The Brigade is experiencing something that no other Midshipmen have encountered in the last 100 years. Persistence and Resilience are critical to get through it. How does the history of the Montford Point Marines inform that persistence? Those first African American Marines were locked in and locked down. What lessons can we learn from them. Carl Sharperson is a Naval Academy graduate, and a former Marine Corps pilot. After the Corps, he worked in industry, including a stint as Vice President of...
This is an Encore presentation. Beyond practice makes perfect, you've got resilience. Making the most of an opportunity to do the right thing even for what might be a mundane opportunity sets up the ability to be resilient in the face of adversity or hard choices. Learn the importance of getting your resilience muscles strong both morally and mentally with Mr. Brad Snyder LT USN (ret.).
Can Journaling play a part in Pre-Trauma self care? As a leader, what are your responsibilities to ensure your people are practicing self-care? And, how can you as a leader "teach" self-care techniques? Dan Luna is a retired Navy Seal. He has instructed at the Naval Academy, where he was voted by the Class of 2017 to be an Honorary Graduate. He is currently the co-founder of 3LX Consulting. Dan is working on his doctorate in Organization Change and Leadership from University of Southern Californ...
What is Pre-Trauma? How does it relate to Resilience and Grit? What does Inoculation have to do with Pre-Trauma? How do you know when to think about self-care? Dan Luna is a retired Navy Seal. He has instructed at the Naval Academy, where he was voted by the Class of 2017 to be an Honorary Graduate. He is currently the co-founder of 3LX Consulting. Dan is working on his doctorate in Organization Change and Leadership from University of Southern California.
This is a continuation of our discussion on Just War, including the consideration of Moral Injury. Is a "spiritual wound" different from Moral Injury? Can I suffer a Moral Injury even if I am miles away from the kinetic act? Do I have to have a traditional religious foundation in order to suffer a Moral Injury? Dr. Marc LiVecche is a Resident Fellow at the Stockdale Center. He helped found Providence: A Journal of Christianity &American Foreign Policy, for which he is executive editor. His f...
What is the Just War tradition? How is this scholarship particularly relevant to Midshipmen? Do you consider the Just War tradition a Moral guide or framework? How does a study of Just War protect against Moral Injury? Dr. Marc LiVecche is a Resident Fellow at the Stockdale Center. His first book, The Good Kill: Just War & Moral Injury, is forthcoming from Oxford University Press.
