Empathy at War: The Distinction between Reasonableness and the Reasonable Military Commander Standard
Jeutner, Valentin LU
(2024)
p.233-260
- Abstract
- There is a distinction between asking whether a military commander’s act was reasonable and asking whether a military commander acted in the manner in which a reasonable military commander would have acted. The difference is that only the second question compels a person assessing a given state of affairs to engage in empathetic perspective-taking. Accordingly, this chapter argues that the reasonable military commander test is a legal device which invites those who apply it to engage in empathetic perspective-taking. Construing the reasonable military commander test as a perspective-taking device brings into focus the crucial question of whose views and whose interests influence the legal evaluation of a commander’s behaviour.... (More)
- There is a distinction between asking whether a military commander’s act was reasonable and asking whether a military commander acted in the manner in which a reasonable military commander would have acted. The difference is that only the second question compels a person assessing a given state of affairs to engage in empathetic perspective-taking. Accordingly, this chapter argues that the reasonable military commander test is a legal device which invites those who apply it to engage in empathetic perspective-taking. Construing the reasonable military commander test as a perspective-taking device brings into focus the crucial question of whose views and whose interests influence the legal evaluation of a commander’s behaviour. Understanding the reasonable military commander test in this way also directs attention to the role of empathy in the battlefield. It is important to be clear about this rationale of the reasonable military commander test in the battlefield in order to ensure that the conduct of military commanders is assessed accurately. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/4143cc68-731b-4c2b-a7aa-901f51da95dd
- author
- Jeutner, Valentin
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2024
- type
- Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Public international law, Folkrätt
- host publication
- Honest Errors? Combat Decision Autonomy 75 Years After Hostage
- editor
- Hayashi, Nobuo and Lingaas, Carola
- pages
- 233 - 260
- publisher
- T.M.C. Asser Press
- ISBN
- 978-94-6265-610-9
- 978-94-6265-611-6
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-94-6265-611-6_10
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4143cc68-731b-4c2b-a7aa-901f51da95dd
- date added to LUP
- 2023-04-12 16:03:58
- date last changed
- 2025-06-13 14:24:41
@inbook{4143cc68-731b-4c2b-a7aa-901f51da95dd,
abstract = {{There is a distinction between asking whether a military commander’s act was reasonable and asking whether a military commander acted in the manner in which a reasonable military commander would have acted. The difference is that only the second question compels a person assessing a given state of affairs to engage in empathetic perspective-taking. Accordingly, this chapter argues that the reasonable military commander test is a legal device which invites those who apply it to engage in empathetic perspective-taking. Construing the reasonable military commander test as a perspective-taking device brings into focus the crucial question of whose views and whose interests influence the legal evaluation of a commander’s behaviour. Understanding the reasonable military commander test in this way also directs attention to the role of empathy in the battlefield. It is important to be clear about this rationale of the reasonable military commander test in the battlefield in order to ensure that the conduct of military commanders is assessed accurately.}},
author = {{Jeutner, Valentin}},
booktitle = {{Honest Errors? Combat Decision Autonomy 75 Years After Hostage}},
editor = {{Hayashi, Nobuo and Lingaas, Carola}},
isbn = {{978-94-6265-610-9}},
keywords = {{Public international law; Folkrätt}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{233--260}},
publisher = {{T.M.C. Asser Press}},
title = {{Empathy at War: The Distinction between Reasonableness and the Reasonable Military Commander Standard}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6265-611-6_10}},
doi = {{10.1007/978-94-6265-611-6_10}},
year = {{2024}},
}