Military Ethics and the Changing Nature of Warfare

Book excerpt: If war is a timeless reality of mankind, the ways and means whereby it is conducted have nonetheless evolved over time due to new technologies and innovative military strategies. For the most part, however, they have not challenged the ethical rules of warfare. The rapid rise in the use of automated weapons, the growing popularity of remotely controlled weapons, the development in soldiers’ enhancement technologies, of hybrid warfare and the impact of gender equality are all posing tremendous moral challenges affecting the traditional warrior ethos, the justification of killing and criminal responsibility. This begs the question: to what degree are the ways and means of modern warfare keeping pace with the current technological evolutions and societal values? Based upon a selection of presentations made at the 2022 annual conference of the International Society for Military Ethics in Europe (Euroisme), this book contains a variety of reflections on this question.