For military practitioners the provision of a

and psychological wellbeing. For military practitioners, the provision of a
comprehensive explanation of the moral and psychological power of identity
and beliefs about identity gives impetus to consider seriously whether
institutional, cultural, and privately held beliefs about what professional
identity means are consistent with the ethical values of society in general. That
is, are just war decision- makers’ belief s about what it means to be a good
soldier, political leader, or military commander consistent with their views of
what it means to be a good human being? If not, the findings of this thesis
indicate that we should expect disharmonious beliefs about different identities
to manifest in moral and psychological trauma.
As well as providing means of anticipating, predicting, and preventing moral
and psychological trauma, this thesis may provide just war decision-makers
with something all military personnel desire: a sympathetic citizenry. In
giving voice to the psychological and moral trauma that military professionals
undertake in order to perform their roles – roles that are ultimately designed
to protect citizens and defend the common good that citizens benefit from
most – this thesis and publications proceeding from it may provide citizens
with deeper insight and understanding into trauma than is currently
available. In so doing, this thesis might provide some insight into the enormity
of moral labour and virtuous character that is required to conduct oneself well

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in matters of war and morality and, in so doing, develop some sympathy for
the difficulty involved. This benefit is one that is particularly indebted to the
introduction of aretaic thinking into the thesis. Aretaic ethics concerns itself
primarily with the agent, it is able to understand the multitude of different
factors that can affect, undermine, or support a person’s ability to do the right
thing. Because of this, aretaic ethics is able to describe unethical behaviour in
a way that does not excuse it, but does identify the various possible reasons
for the behaviour. In so doing, this thesis may provide military practitioners
with a sense that although their actions will be judged, they will be judged
with sensitivity and empathy to the immense moral and psychological
difficulty of the environment just war decision-makers face, and the
complexity of the decisions they have to make.
Further, as Western militaries continue to insist that their personnel not only
comply with professional duty but strive for professional excellence, the
distinction between professional duties and professional excellence will
become increasingly relevant. Aretaic ethics, as I interpret it in this thesis,
offers not only a description of what professional excellence might consist in
for soldiers, military commanders, and political leaders, but a guide to
understanding professional excellence from a moral standpoint. I describe
excellence in military professions as consisting in in the performance of