The Questions of the Class

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The Questions of the Class

• What is Right?
• How do YOU Decide?

????
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What is Right? How do you decide?
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Future Ensigns LieutenantsWhat do you think???

• What is Right? How do you decide?

• What is the moral dilemma?
• What are my moral obligations?
• What are my legal obligations?

• Do my religious beliefs conflict w/ my
  obligations?
• Where are my loyalties? Are they right?

• Why does the right thing seem wrong sometimes?
• Can I live with the decision for the rest of my
  life?
• Is it usually harder to do the right thing?
  WHY???

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Course Themes
Leadership
Ethical Decision Making
Professional Development
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Course Admin ROE(Rules of Engagement)

• Food / Drink
• Attendance
• Be on time Participate
• Do the Reading Review Objectives
• Current Events
• Discussions
• Let people finish
• Be respectful
• Challenge Ideas not people
• Make comments relevant
• Actively listen
• Its OK to think before answering
• Non Attribution

Be capable of facilitating class sessions.
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Ethics Essay

• Approved topic relating to leadership ethics
• 3000-3500 words (bodynot bib, index, etc.)
• Naval War College format
• Proposal due by 31 Jan
• Draft Review on 23 Feb 13 Mar
• Paper due 22 March
• Identify discuss an ethical leadership
  challenge facing Junior Officers in the Fleet/FMF
• Develop recommendations to address the challenge
  using course concepts

http//www.usnwc.edu/getattachment/Departments---C
olleges/Joint-Military-Operations/NWC-Writing---St
yle-Guide-20071.pdf.aspx
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1-Page Point Paper

• Address assigned case study or reading
• Use prescribed format
• Format posted on unit Website
• One page ONLY
• Tests ability to communicate salient points and
  make recommendations in a powerful, concise
  document
• 5 pts toward final grade
• Due 23 February

Another critical junior officer skill
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Ethics Presentation

• Group project
• Groups of 3-4
• Group assignments on 27 Jan
• 29 Mar or 3 April
• Address Current Military Ethics Issue
• Presentation (10 of grade)
• 15 minute presentation to class
• 5 minutes for questions
• Peer ranking

Briefing skills are critical for every warfare
specialty
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Quizzes and Homework

• Quizzes will be taken from assigned readings
• Announced or Unannounced
• Total of 10 of grade

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Case Studies

• Why Use Them?
• Become aware of the kinds of moral conflicts you
  may face
• Improves your ability to reason about certain
  circumstances
• Helps you choose wisely when confronted with a
  moral crisis
• Helps clarify the core values of the Military
  profession
• How To Use them
• Study the scenario and its details
• Picture yourself in that situation
• Determine
• Whats the dilemma?
• What options or choices are there?
• What are the outcome/ramifications of your
  actions/inactions?
• Whats the right thing to do?
• How do you decide based on what?

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Fleet Standards

• Treat you like a junior officer in the wardroom
  or battalion.
• Give your best to each assignment
• Writing and speaking are critical skills for a
  Junior Officer
• Successful officers dont do just good enough
  to get by

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Who is right?
If free, educated, rational people can be so
fundamentally opposed
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...Because its not always black and white
And its not always easy!
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Maybe we are seen as different?
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Ouch!
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Consequences of Bad Ethics
10,000 of these
cant make up for 1 of these!
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Frame work for Ethical Decision-Making

1. Identify the problem.
2. Specify feasible alternatives.
3. Use your ethical resources to identify morally
   significant factors in each alternative.
4. Propose and test possible resolutions.
5. Make your Choice.

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Bottom Line

• During your time in NROTC, and undoubtedly
  before your life as a midshipman, you have
  experienced many styles of leadership and you
  have had first-hand experience practicing
  leadership with your peers and juniors.
• Are you ready to lead Sailors and Marines in
  combat?

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Final Thoughts
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Next Class Why Study Ethics?Intro to Moral
Reasoning
Objectives from reading Recognize factors that
make ethics hard Understand the pervasiveness of
the psychological motivation of self
interest. Questions to answer On the Eve of
Battle Why did Col give this pre-battle
speech? Ring of Gyges What would most people do
with the ring? Why? Why Ethics is so Hard What
are the factors the author identifies that make
ethical decision making hard? Compare article to
Selective Unmasking Boat People case
study What factors were common?

• Reading Assignment
• EMP (28 pages)
• Why Study Ethics? (Lucas), pp. 3-7 On the Eve of
  Battle (Lucas), pp. 9-11 Ring of Gyges (Plato),
  pp. 13-14 Why Ethics is So Hard (Grassey), pp.
  15-19 A Higher Moral Standard for the Military
  (Ficarrotta), pp. 33-43 The American
  Profesional Military Ethic (Hartle), pp. 63-70.
• CSME (8 pages)
• Introduction (Rubel), pp. xv-xvii Rescuing the
  Boat People (Rubel), pp. 13-15.
• HANDOUT (2 pages)
• USS San Jacinto Press Release