Are Soldiers Murderers?
One thing: you’re talking about broad categories (killing, suicide) and asking if they are moral or immoral. Categories don’t have morality; only particular, real-world actions. It’s like asking if pies taste good or bad. Obviously, it depends on the pie. What determines the morality of a human action is the intention of the doer. Killing and suicide are not neutral when they happen in reality. It’s just that we can’t judge them as broad categories because categories don’t have intentions. Death is natural but a murderous intention is not. If I have a murderous intention and I stick a knife into someone, of course it’s a natural thing that he will die. But that doesn’t mean the intention was natural or good. Likewise, the morality of suicide also depends on one’s intention. Obviously, the average soldier does not have a murderous intention. He is doing his duty. The morality of his actions depend in part on the intention of those who have sent him to war. But he has responsibility too
