ABSTRACT
The introduction to Advancing Military Practice through Military Humanities presents military mumanities as a new field of inquiry and outlines its intellectual heritage and aspirations. It provides a rationale for the humanities as a significant foundation for military practice and professionalism and as a crucial field for the investigation of matters related to war. Modelled on the medical humanities, military humanities (MILHUM) aims to contribute new insights through humanities methodologies and approaches. The introduction further situates MILHUM within the larger field of military studies, also touching on the debates about the value of the humanities. The introduction shows how the humanities are a source of developing indispensable knowledge and skills for the military professional, such as situational awareness, professional judgement, and reflective practice, which are required for analysing and working in today’s complex operational environments. MILHUM’s key areas of contribution are seen to be developing military practice, understanding core concepts such as “conflict”, “war”, and “peace” by providing a humanities lens, developing new analytical frameworks, and contributing to professional development.
