PROCEEDINGS OF THE LATVIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

A soldier and philosophy

Keywords: soldier’s values, military ethics, stoicism
Language: In Latvian

The article addresses an inter-disciplinary issue of how philosophy could be helpful in the process of training and educating a soldier. One of the paradoxes of being a soldier is the need to observe a strict code of conduct, while simultaneously acting as a moral agent, i.e. as an individual being able to solve issues involving the moral dimension. The article explores both of those aspects from the perspective of the role of philosophy in soldier’s education and training: through distinctive characteristics of the military profession, requirements of military ethics and just war theory, and learning soldier’s values, ethics and various philosophical teachings. Case study of stoicism serves as an example of application of normative ethics to soldier’s life.