The Ethics of Special Operations

Professor Roger Herbert will provide an overview of the ethics of Special Ops during his presentation.  The field of military ethics has generally been attentive to emerging trends in modern warfare.  Cyber, robotics, and AI, for example, have inspired an abundant and flourishing literature.  One trend, however, has been largely overlooked by ethicists: the emergence of special operations as a prominent instrument of statecraft.  In a new book, Roger Herbert and his co-authors, Deane-Peter Baker (University of New South Wales) and David Whetham (King’s College London), call attention to qualities inherent in special operations — and special operators — that challenge the moral framework that has long informed conventional military operations.

Roger Herbert recently stepped down as the Robert T. Herres Distinguished Military Professor of Ethics at the US Naval Academy. Prior to joining the USNA faculty, Roger was the Director of The Outdoor Academy here in Pisgah Forest and, prior to that, served for 26 years as a Naval Special Warfare (SEAL) officer, retiring at the rank of Captain.  He holds a BS from Davidson College, an MA from the Naval Postgraduate School, an MS from the National War College, and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia.  He currently lives in Brevard with his wife, Gretchen.  He’s a Research Fellow in the Future Security Initiative at Arizona State University and serves on the Board of Trustees for Brevard College and Eagle’s Nest Foundation.