Conscientious Objection

The ethics of conscientious objection have long been a topic of debate in military ethics. Should the military allow for conscientious objectors? What are the moral responsibilities of a government to allow for conscientious objection? What are the operational risks of a government providing leniency to conscientious objectors?

In a two- to three-page paper, explore the moral implications of conscientious objection to military service and conflict. During this case study, make sure to research and address the following questions and issues:

What is the legal definition of conscientious objection according to the U.S. military?
Under what circumstances does the U.S. military permit conscientious objection to war? What are the requirements to declare conscientious objector status? Can servicemen and military draftees object to serving in some wars and not object to serving in other wars?
How does Just War theory apply to the issue of conscientious objection? If a nation, such as the United States, pursues a Just War, what right do its citizens have to object to serving in that war?
Evaluate the current U.S. military policy towards conscientious objection. Do you believe that conscientious objection is morally permissible?
Do you believe the U.S. military should allow for conscientious objection by its service members?
How has the Global War on Terror and particularly the War in Iraq (a preemptive war) impacted rates of conscientious objection in the U.S. military?
Are there any changes to U.S. policy with regards to conscientious objection that you believe should be changed?
In addition to course readings, you must use a minimum of three scholarly resources for research and analysis of this paper. The Ashford Online Library is a good source for scholarly articles. All resources must be properly cited.

Your paper must be in APA (6th edition) format. If you would like to refer to APA samples and tutorials, log into the Ashford Writing Center (USER NAME: ashford; PASSWORD: student). Click on the ENG122 tab and review the resources in the Week 5 section. Other writing resources, such as sample outlines, are also available.