How does a soldier justify the killing of another human being in a time of war (or military conflict of some sort)?
You might find this discussion of motive enlightening. C. Wright Mills discusses the ‘vocabulary of motive.’ We all have reasons we give for why we do things, even things society might consider nasty (and Iraqis no doubt, as well as many Americans, consider murder even in a military setting nasty). Weber would be useful for understanding military hierarchy, bureaucracy. There is also a clear propaganda element here. Here’s an interesting article from CS Monitor. Then there’s always Stanley Milgram and research into obedience. These theorists don’t necessarily contradict each other, remember. For instance, Milgram may talk about the role of coercion and how it affects obedience. Weber talks about the specific organizational mechanisms most likely to effect high levels of obedience.
