Stockdale Debates
Conversations, Point Papers and Debates covering ethical leadership issues relevant to military operations, national security and domestic politics.
The opinions expressed in these posts are the authors’, and do not represent those of the Stockdale Center, Navy or Department of Defense.
This Kind of Academy
“The problem is to see not what is desirable, or nice, or politically feasible, but what is necessary.” – T.R. Fehrenbach, This Kind of War
Reflections on Stockdale A Quarter-Century Later
As a newly hired ethics instructor at the Stockdale Center, I think it somewhat appropriate at this moment in time to share some of my
Neither Athens nor Sparta—Reconsidering the Mission of the Naval Academy
Since the COVID pandemic, the word unprecedented has been used constantly—almost always, I believe, incorrectly. There’s a precedent for just about everything if you examine
The Liberal Arts and the Formation of the American Military Officer
In the education of a military officer, it is not sufficient to cultivate technical competence alone. One must also nurture judgment, moral discernment, and a
Remembering the Primary Mission of Our Academies
The primary mission of America’s service academies is not to mimic Ivy League institutions—it is to produce officers capable of fighting and winning our nation’s wars. While
The Blog of War:
Reaffirming the Purpose of the Stockdale Center Blog
When the Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership launched its blog in 2020, it did so with a conviction that reflective thought has a place—indeed, a
The Discourses of Epictetus with Running Commentary – Book I, Chapter 29
Twenty-ninth installment: Arrian, a student of Epictetus, wrote eight books, The Discourses of Epictetus, of which four survive. Selections from those eight books were also collected
The Discourses of Epictetus with Running Commentary – Book I, Chapter 28
Book I, Chapter 28 That We Ought Not to be Angry with Men; and What are the Little Things and the Great Among Men? This
Great Power, Responsibility, and Killing in War
The Yugoslav Wars and the Dangers of an Emotion Fueled Media Environment
This Kind of Academy
Reflections on Stockdale A Quarter-Century Later
Neither Athens nor Sparta—Reconsidering the Mission of the Naval Academy