Camouflaged Emotions and Stoicism in the Military - Essay Example

Camouflaged Emotions – Stoicism in the Military Lucian Grigorescu Romanian Navy Mrs. Katy …….. 20 February 2009 Man is the only animal that deals inthat atrocity of atrocities, War. He is the only one that gathers his brethren about him and goes forth in cold blood and calm pulse to exterminate his kind. He is the only animal that for sordid wages will march out... and help to slaughter strangers of his own species who have done him no harm and with whom he has no quarrel.... And in the intervals between campaigns he washes the blood off his hands and works for the universal brotherhood of man- with his mouth. 1 - Mark Twain, 2008. Introduction War has always been regarded as a formidable evil, wiping away large masses of people each year from the surface of the earth. Many writers have discussed about the threat and terror of war and many writings have been published with war as the main theme. Men have been fighting each other since they began to live in communities. The terror of war still continues: Kuwait, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia and many other examples could be cited out from different parts of the world. Though wars are fought between nations, they are carried out between the military forces that fight like faceless entities. The continuous fighting and the military life had tremendous effects on the soldiers, causing radical changes in them. Many have been commented about stoicism. The words of the famous British historian and philosopher Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) provides a clear picture of stoicism when he says: “sick and yet happy, in peril and yet happy, dying and yet happy, in exile and happy, in disgrace and happy.” (Russell). It is generally viewed that stoics exhibit happiness and sadness together and it speaks of one’s uninteresting mentality. The camouflaged emotions always haunt them and they are really suffocated under the forcible working conditions. They are tended to be hard and rough, influenced by these circumstances. Many factors play significant roles in leading soldiers to stoicism. But it is not possible for one to reach in the assertion that it is the stoicism that turns the soldiers to be rough and coarse. Stoicism sometimes turns out to be favorable with the soldiers when it is regarded with their ability of endurance and loyalty in matters connected with their nation’s freedom. Generally, soldiers are denied the right to make decisions regarding matters in connection with country; instead, those decisions are vested in civil officials like the president or congress, who are to an extent failure in handling the matters. Military has always been formed with a fixed frame work which may cause for controlling the camouflaged emotions of the soldiers. A soldier feels that his emotions and passions of life have been frozen, being forced to lead a mechanical life. When one volunteers to be a soldier, he is taught to control his natural passions. He will not have the freedom to enjoy life like others. If there is an emergency situation soldiers are forced to work continuously for hours without rest. He cannot find time to spend with his family or friends, though he wishes to do so. The military environment could be influenced by various factors. Camouflaged emotions have a deep influence over soldiers that continual and forcible suppression of these emotions gradually leads them to be stoic, making their bodies and minds hardened as stone to face the hard realities of life, and leading to the breakdown of morality. Various factors that could influence the military The military is ever ready to provide all the things that soldiers need to perform their duties: it is able to fulfill the needs of a soldier. Soldiers are equipped and armored. But there must be a firm decision to equip soldiers with a personal sense of ethics. Religion can play a vital role in the formation of character in a person. Military historian Sara Elise Phang rightly remarks about the religious influence on military discipline when she says that “imperial military discipline, cohesion, and obedience were reinforced by religious practices such as the cult of the standards, the imperial cult, and “military” cults…” 2 (Phang, 2008). Her words focus on the need of religious faith in ethical education. The ethical education or principles is believed to have the magical power to lead one to goodness by changing him morally. Government allocates huge funding for training to build skill in warfare. Nevertheless, it is also important to educate the soldiers on issues of personal morality. Basically, soldiers are public servants who serve the people. They combat external and internal aggression, but their service is not limited to the field of warfare. The service of military force is crucial in humanitarian missions and peace keeping strategies. However, their primary function is to defend the nation from enemies. As they act as the principal force to tackle violence, they must have some moral principles to follow. The factors leading to stoicism Stoicism is a philosophy characterized by how people react to what happens in the world, without emotion. It is an age old process which is used for controlling the outward emotions. Stoic teachings have played a vital role in the functioning of modern military. The very structure of the military is built upon a hierarchical order. The soldiers who are in the low ranks are supposed to follow the orders of their senior officers. The authoritative power of senior officers is helpful to maintain strict discipline in the military, but it also plays an important role in the suppression of emotions. The break out of immoral activities from a soldier is rare, but it is the outburst of suppressed emotions. There must be an outlet to discard the suppressed emotions. So, it is important to include ethical training as a part of general training. Dr. Nancy Sherman (distinguished educator and renowned philosopher and professor of Georgetown University) have remarked that the training and discipline involved in the military leads one to stoicism. A Different Approach on Stoicism Stoicism can do something in supportive of the soldiers, and it cannot always be regarded as one that produces negative quality. On the very first day of their admission into the military, soldiers are taught to give up pain and other disruptions and are molded with one aim: the mission. They are ordered to move into harm’s way, though they may not want to go. It can be viewed that stoic philosophy is the key component of the military, and it assumes the role of guiding factor, when it provides the enduring capacity to the men and women of military to undertake difficult tasks, which are unthinkable for the average person. Stockdale, one of the most highly decorated officers of the history of the United States Navy, tries to attribute a special quality to stoicism. He makes a different view over stoicism, when he says: “Stoicism is a noble philosophy that has proven to be more practicable than a modem cynic would expect.”(3) (Stockdale, page-6). From the words of Stockdale it is clear that he regards stoicism as one that can be used for the betterment of the soldiers, if its good qualities are taken out. These good qualities include their boldness in facing every difficult situations of life, and their devotion for the well being of the country etc. Through these words Stockdale also tries to blame the modern man for blindly opposing stoicism, without being aware of its qualities. He believes that an ethical based stoicism can do much on the soldiers. Stoicism denies the soldier of this morality, as envisioned by philosophers like Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The Stoics held the belief that virtue and goodness are the means to achieve the moral perfection. Later, was revealed that the beliefs they held were against morality or moral ethics. Stoics never regarded virtue or goodness as the only causes of happiness. They proposed the view point that it is not morality which brings happiness, but the right mental attitude. Dr. Nancy Sherman (distinguished educator and renowned philosopher and professor of Georgetown University) has been viewed that uncontrollable hatred and anger leads to all kinds of crimes. Stoicism, therefore, takes a soldier away from his natural passions, forces him to treat the war prisoners in the worst manner. Such ill-treatment is still going on in different parts of the world. Nowadays there is a tendency in the soldiers to be set apart from the society and one can find notable changes in their handling of war prisoners. But even then they behave contrary to the general expectation and against the psychology of military morality. They promote torture, outrage, hatred, and sadisms when they treat the war prisoners. A soldier sometimes assumes the role of a torturer. The words of the researcher and philosopher of moral ethics and the moral psychology of torture, Jessica Wolfendale makes it clear when she says “the move from soldier to torturer can occur in different ways, but the majority of military torturers are soldiers or military policemen who have been trained in elite military units.”(4) Wolfendale is of the opinion that various reasons could be spotted out for the movement of a soldier to tortures. But she agrees herself that majority of the soldiers and the military policemen are given training of torture and the moral psychology of torture is not a feature of abnormal or rude soldiers; it derives from the part of their special training. The torture training is different from soldiers training. Military torturers are basically hardened, and most of them dehumanize their victims. This is not only part of military training but is an innate feature of the soldier himself. The following statement by Thomas A. Jarrett (Area Support Medical Company, Camp Liberty, Baghdad, Iraq) John S. Barnett (U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Orlando, Florida) reveal the attitudinal changes of soldiers. They say: “Leaders’ attitudes may affect the probability of soldiers receiving help. On one hand, leaders may suspect soldiers of malingering, while on the other hand, they may feel that their soldiers are tough enough to deal with problems on their own.”(5) (Jarrett and Barnett). The emotional life of a soldier is tied up with his personal and social factors The training process of the military units should have involved highly stressful and even brutal exercises. More than traditional weapons and fitness training, the mode of training must be based on psychological and ethical principles, and techniques that might inspire persons to relax their sensations and emotions. They could be provided time for relax, such as watching films, engaging in different games and arts etc. to make them mentally fit. The exponents of stoic principles argue that soldiers must deal with imprisonment, the act of killing people and the process of grieving for the loss of a dear one etc. will enable the cultivation of tenderness in them. One should react to these situations with reason and logic. Discipline, self- control, and decorum are the basic reactions to the emotional circumstances. Stoic philosophy requires disabled soldiers to demonstrate an “optimistic” spirit about their injuries that creates the most out of circumstances one cannot control. Basic human feelings affect the mind of a soldier. There are various reasons that pave the way for wars. And it will not be apt to remark that anger is the only battle motivator. But the inability in controlling the natural passions may make the soldiers hot- tempered and a revengeful soldier may violate the laws. Stoic principles suggest that one can minimize the inhumanity of human against mankind if he gives up anger. Joel H. Rosenthal, the president of Carnegie Council for Ethics, rightly comments on the problem of sudden temper and revenge among the soldiers when he says: “I dont think anger should be the combat battle motivator. I think going into war with revenge is a method for dehumanization.”(6) (Nancy Sherman, Joanne J. Myers, Joel H. Rosenthal) Rosenthal words are notable regarding the morality of war. A soldier, essentially, is an authorized killing machine. He is doing the work of the government or his superiors. Sometimes a soldier is forced to fight for an unjust reason. However, a soldier should have the ability to take decisions which will enable him the power to overcome the difficulties of life. Breakdown of morality When analysing the impacts of stoicism on soldiers, it is seen that stoicism has both advantages and disadvantages. Its disadvantages stand higher above the advantages and there are many examples of empires and militaries that have fallen because of their breakdown from morality. The soldiers followed a luxurious life, completely neglecting religion, enjoying life, wine, and women. One among the main the causes for Romania’s failure in the World War I was the break down of morality. The great revolution of 1989 also assures the aforesaid reason. The lack of a strong bond between Romanian government and people also caused for the revolution. The fall of the Roman Empire is the best example of luxurious and reckless life. The words of Doctrina make it clear when she aptly remarks that “The Romans were so busy at their orgies (often with their siblings), throwing Christians to the lions, poisoning their spouses, parents, and children, and eating exotic parts of animals (like hummingbird tongues), in between visits to the vomitorium so they could eat more, that they didnt notice all the Germans gathering on the frontiers.” (7) (Jones1986, 316). The Romans did not care about the approaching danger from the enemy which finally led to its destruction. They scorned everything and led a life like pagans. It was this immoral life that took away everything from them, including their civilization, which they regained with the renaissance, a thousand years later. Conclusion Stoicism in the military is deep rooted, and it is difficult to bring back ethical belief into soldiers. Most soldiers do not regard virtue and goodness as the only cause of happiness. The very strict rules and discipline of the military mould them as stubborn, bold figures, and are ready to face any critical situation. These strict military rules have made them barren and causes their rough behavior to war prisoners, forgetting all good manners and humanitarian considerations. They camouflage their emotions, and gradually they get the mastery over their natural passions and emotions. The military provides them everything, and they are satisfied with it. Hierarchal order followed in military is the other thing that paves the way for stoicism. Generally there is a tendency found in the soldiers that they don’t give much prominence to morality or moral lessons of the great thinkers and gradually it takes them away from religion and God Himself. This immoral behavior very often makes them rude and unsympathetic. Therefore, stoicism in military should either be replaced with lessons of ethical morality, or a stoic ethical morality should be laid for the bright future of society and the nation. But when thinking deeply of the replacement of stoicism, it is clear that the replacement of it will rather be difficult or to an extent impossible. After the studies is seen that the one and the possible way to improve the state of soldiers is to implement mandatory ethical training in military, to avoid the break down of morality. Notes: 1. Stockdale: “Welcome to the Quote of Garden.” 2. Phang, Sara Elise: Roman Military Service: “Ideologies of Discipline in the Late Republic and Early Republic”. 3. Stockdale, VADM James B.: “Stockdale on Stoicism II: Master of My Fate” 4. Wolfendale, Jessica: “Symposium: Torture and the Stoic Warrior, Stoic Warriors and Stoic Torturers: The Moral Psychology of Military Torture.” 5. Jarrett, Thomas A., and Barnett, John S.: “Treating Stress Related Disorders. Warrior Resilience Training” 6. Nancy Sherman, Joanne J. Myers, Joel H. Rosenthal: “Stoic Warriors: The Ancient Philosophy Behind the Military Mind” 7. Jones A.H.M., “The Later Roman Empire” Bibliography Jarrett, Thomas A. Jarrett, John S. Treating stress related disorders. Warrior Resilience Training. http://www.usuhs.edu/ussw/2007/JarrettMS.doc Jones, A H M. 1986. Decadence, Rome and Romania, the emperors who weren’t, and other reflections on Roman history. The Later Roman Empire. 316. http://www.friesian.com/decdenc1.htm Phang, Sara Elise. 2008. Roman military service: Ideologies of discipline in the late Republic and early Republic. Cambridge University Press. Sherman, Nancy., Myers, Joanne J., and Rosenthal, Joel H. Stoic Warriors: The Ancient Philosophy Behind the Military Mind. http://www.cceia.org/resources/transcripts/5327.html Stoic warriors: The ancient philosophy behind the military mind. Carnegie Council. http://www.cceia.org/resources/transcripts/5327.html Stockdale, VADM James B. Stockdale on stoicism II: Master of my fate. Twain, Mark. 2008. Welcome to the quote of garden. http://www.quotegarden.com/war.html Wolfendale, Jessica. Symposium: Torture and the stoic warrior, stoic warriors and stoic torturers: The moral psychology of military torture. Read More