The Empathetic Soldier

This book shows the contribution that empathy can and should make to the proper conduct of war.

US Army doctrine identifies empathy as an essential trait in soldiers; despite this endorsement of senior leaders, empathy’s role in the military profession remains obscure. The notion of soldiers empathetically considering others, especially enemies, strikes many as counter to the nature of soldiering. Additionally, confusion caused by differing definitions of empathy often leads to its complete...