Would You Disobey An Unjust Or Illegal Command

Military Ethics Would you disobey an unjust or illegal command given to you by a superior? If deontological ethics is applied then it could be questionable. “Deontological ethics is and ethical theory that places special emphasis on the relationship between duty and the morality of human actions” (Britannica 2016). An action is considered morally good because of characteristics from the action itself, not because the end result of the action is good. One could be given a command that is unjust or illegal which would be morally wrong to follow regardless of the outcome. In war, there are many regulations and guidelines that must be followed. When someone in an authoritative position gives you an order one may think that it must be followed. It does not and should not if it is an unjust or illegal command. By following such commands could result in unnecessary deaths, damage to property, or even cause world problems between nations. On the other hand, when you are of lower rank you may feel the need or have the pressure to follow such unjust and illegal commands. If an individual is scared of confrontation or threatened, they may feel the need to follow
When given a command one could say it is morally right to follow that command and could argue deontology because you are supposed to do what is morally right regardless of the outcome. If one is unaware of whether or not the command is right or legal they could follow through with this and use the deontology theory. Again, as I stated above it is each military members responsibility to know rules of engagement and what will go against the Uniform Code of Military Justice. In a hostile situation one may not be able to process these rules and do so without thinking or without the knowledge they are required to have. They could also think that the command is moral and the right thing to do. Ultimately, this should not happen but it is a