ABSTRACT
In this chapter, Kevin Cutright utilizes a distinction between moral knowledge and moral understanding to argue that US military training creates an increased risk of moral injury among military personnel. This occurs because they are unable to reflect on actions taken or not taken and they are unable to offer an underlying moral justification. Moral understanding would improve their moral reasoning in reflection, better equipping them to justify their actions to others and, just as importantly, to themselves. Furthermore, he argues that the superiority of moral understanding is compatible with responsible deference to others’ moral judgments, but those in charge of moral categories (such as jus ad bellum and jus in bello) should not be considered moral experts so much as moral trustees. The deference offered to these moral trustees is different from the epistemic deference granted to experts in non-moral areas.
