Askeri Cesaretin Evrimi

Yıl 2025, Cilt: 6 Sayı: 2, 132 - 152, 31.10.2025

İbrahim Sani Mert

https://doi.org/10.52792/tws.1794848

Öz

Cesaret, tarih boyunca askerlik mesleğinin tanımlayıcı erdemi olarak kabul edilmiştir. Aristoteles, Sokrates ve Konfüçyüs gibi klasik filozoflar, cesareti genellikle askerlik perspektifinden kavramsallaştırmış ve onu öncelikle savaş alanındaki fiziksel cesaretle ilişkilendirmişlerdir. İnsanlık tarihinin savaşlarla şekillendiği düşünülürse, cesaret zaferlerin ve dolayısıyla da medeniyetlerin şekillenmesinde belirleyici bir rol oynamıştır. Ancak, savaşın doğası ve dolayısıyla cesaretin anlamı, özellikle son 150 yılda, benzeri görülmemiş teknolojik değişimlerin hem toplumları hem de askeri uygulamaları yeniden şekillendirmesiyle önemli dönüşümler geçirmiştir. Görünmeyen, asimetrik tehditlerin (insansız hava araçları, hipersonik füzeler, siber operasyonlar) ve algoritmik karar alma süreçlerinin ortaya çıkışı göz önüne alındığında, günümüzdeki askeri cesaretin yalnızca fiziksel cesaret olarak değil, aynı zamanda ahlaki, entelektüel, sosyal ve varoluşsal cesaret olarak da giderek daha fazla ifade edildiği görülmektedir. Bu kapsamda, yapılan bu çalışma, tehditlerin genellikle görünmez ve uzak olduğu günümüz savaş alanı ortamında cesaretin bileşenlerinin nasıl değiştiğini analiz ederek askeri cesaretin günümüze nasıl evirildiğini açıklamaya çalışmaktadır. Ayrıca, askeri liderlik, eğitim ve etik hususların bu yeni koşullar altında cesareti sürdürmek ve teşvik etmek için nasıl adapte olması gerektiği de ele alınmış ve profesyonel askerlik mesleği için teorik ve pratik çıkarımlar yapılmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Askeri Cesaret , Savaş Çalışmaları , Korku ve Cesaret , Askeri Etik , Asker Psikolojisi , Savaşın Evrimi.

Etik Beyan

Eklendi.

Destekleyen Kurum

Yok

Teşekkür

Yok.

The Evolution of Military Courage

Öz

Courage has long been regarded as the defining virtue of the military profession. Classical philosophers such as Aristotle, Socrates, and Confucius often conceptualized courage through the lens of soldiering, primarily associating it with physical bravery on the battlefield. Considering that human history has been shaped by wars, courage has played a decisive role in achieving victories and, consequently, in shaping civilizations. However, the nature of war—and therefore the meaning of courage—has undergone significant transformations, particularly in the last 150 years, as unprecedented technological changes have reshaped both societies and military practices. With the rise of invisible and asymmetric threats (such as unmanned aerial vehicles, hypersonic missiles, and cyber operations) and the growing role of algorithmic decision-making processes, military courage today is increasingly expressed not only as physical bravery but also as moral, intellectual, social, and existential courage. In this regard, the present study seeks to explain how military courage has evolved by analyzing how its components have changed in contemporary battlefields where threats are often invisible and distant. Furthermore, it addresses how military leadership, education, and ethical frameworks must adapt to sustain and foster courage under these new conditions, offering both theoretical and practical implications for the profession of arms.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Military Courage , War Studies , Fear and Bravery , Military Ethics , Soldier Psychology , Evolution of Warfare

Etik Beyan

Eklendi.

Destekleyen Kurum

Yok

Teşekkür

Yok

Kaynakça

• Chamayou, Grégoire. A Theory of the Drone. New York: The New Press, 2015.
• Hanson, Victor Davis. The Western Way of War: Infantry Battle in Classical Greece. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009.
• Mert, İbrahim Sani. Cesaret Yönetimi. İstanbul: Hayat Yayınları, 2007.
• Olsthoorn, Peter. Military Ethics and Virtues: An Interdisciplinary Approach for the 21st Century. London: Routledge, 2010.
• Roland, Alex. War and Technology: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.
• Toffler, Alvin, and Heidi Toffler. War and Anti-War: Survival at the Dawn of the 21st Century. Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1993.
• Toner, James H. Morals under the Gun: The Cardinal Virtues, Military Ethics, and American Society. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2014.
• Kitap Bölümü ve Derlemeler
• Sparrow, Robert. “Drones, Courage, and Military Culture.” In Routledge Handbook of Military Ethics, 380–394. London: Routledge, 2015.
• Aydemir, Mehmet, and İbrahim Sani Mert. “A Study on the Investigation of the Historical Origins of Courage in Futuwwa and Akhi Institution.” In A Critical Review of Social Sciences: Theory and Practice, ed. B. Yenihan, S. D. Basar, and G. Cerev, 537–543. London: Frontpage Publications, 2018.
• Balot, Ryan. “Courage in the Democratic Polis.” The Classical Quarterly 54, no. 2 (2004): 406–423.
• Bayramoğlu, Gökhan, and İbrahim Sani Mert. “The Silent Architect of Organizations: Traces of Embedded Courage in Daily Routines within Turkish Literature.” Journal of Industrial Policy and Technology Management 7, no. 2 (2024): 139–160.
• Cook, Martin L. “Reflections on Courage (And Other Virtues): A Dialogue Between Ethics and Moral Psychology.” The International Journal of Ethical Leadership 2, no. 1 (2013): 102. Coulston, J. C. N. “Courage and Cowardice in the Roman Imperial Army.” War in History 20, no. 1 (2013): 7–31.
• De Vries, Peter. “Virtue Ethics in the Military: An Attempt at Completeness.” Journal of Military Ethics 19, no. 3 (2020): 170–185.
• Doris, John M. “The Limits of Virtue: Moral Psychology and Military Conduct.” Journal of Military Ethics 22, no. 3–4 (2023): 227–240.
• Enemark, Christian. Moralities of Drone Violence. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2023.
• Gómez, Ángel, Scott Atran, José Chinchilla, A. Vázquez, L. Lopez-Rodriguez, B. Paredes, and R. Davis. “Willingness to Sacrifice among Convicted Islamist Terrorists versus Violent Gang Members and Other Criminals.” Scientific Reports 12, no. 1 (2022): 2596.
• Hasselberger, Walter. “Will Algorithms Win Medals of Honor? Artificial Intelligence, Human Virtues, and the Future of Warfare.” Journal of Military Ethics 23, no. 3–4 (2024): 289–305.
• Kateb, George. “Courage as a Virtue.” Social Research: An International Quarterly 71, no. 1 (2004): 39–72.
• Kirkpatrick, Jesse. “Drones and the Martial Virtue Courage.” Journal of Military Ethics 14, no. 3–4 (2015): 202–219.
• Koksal, Kemal, and İbrahim Sani Mert. “The Role of Courage and Interactional Justice in Emotional Exhaustion of Emergency Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study in Turkey.” International Nursing Review (2023). https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12841.
• Liu, Zong. “Technological Mediation Theory and the Moral Suspension Problem.” Human Studies 46, no. 3 (2023): 375–388.
• Mert, İbrahim Sani. “Terör Yönetimi Kuramı ve Cesaret: Kavramsal Bir Tartışma.” Güvenlik Stratejileri Dergisi 6, no. 12 (2010): 57–80.
• Mert, İbrahim Sani. “Askeri Etik.” Turkish Journal of War Studies 1, no. 1 (2020): 24–34.
• Mert, İbrahim Sani. “Cesaret ve Bileşenlerinin Keşfine İlişkin Nitel Bir Araştırma: Eski Bir Erdemin Yeniden Keşfi.” İş ve İnsan Dergisi 8, no. 1 (2021): 19–32.
• Mert, İbrahim Sani. “Cesareti Modellemek: Cesareti Anlamada ve Uygulamada Kullanılabilecek Bazı Modeller.” Antalya Bilim Üniversitesi Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 2, no. 2 (2021): 60–80.
• Mert, İbrahim Sani. “Perceptions of Courage: An In-Depth Examination of Lay People’s Attributions toward Courage.” Journal of International Trade, Logistics and Law 9, no. 2 (2023): 211–225.
• Mert, İbrahim Sani. “Before and After Courage: Understanding Laypeople’s Most Courageous Actions and Emotional Dynamics.” Journal of Industrial Policy and Technology Management 6, no. 2 (2023): 371–393.
• Mert, İbrahim Sani. “What is Courage? Content Analysis of Definitions of Courage.” International Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences 9, no. 2 (2023): 126–153.
• Mert, İbrahim Sani. “Cesaret Türleri.” Antalya Bilim Üniversitesi Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 5, no. 2 (2024): 85–116.
• Mert, İbrahim Sani, and Mehmet Aydemir. “Yönetsel Cesaretin Tarihi Kaynakları Üzerine Bir İnceleme: Eski Türk Yazıtlarında Cesaret.” Anemon Muş Alparslan Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi 7, no. 6 (2019): 319–328.
• Mert, İbrahim Sani, and Gökben Bayramoğlu. “Cesaret ve İş Yaşamı: Türkçe Araştırmaların Perspektifleri Işığında İş Yaşamında Sürdürülebilirliğe İlişkin Bazı Önermeler.” Uluslararası İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Dergisi 10, no. 2 (2024): 139–165.
• Mert, İbrahim Sani, Ali Danandeh Mehr, and Laith Abualigah. “The Management Genetic Code: Courageous Dimensions, Morality and Evolutionary Satisfaction.” Management Decision (2025).
• Olson, Laura W. Towards a More Ethical Military: The Contribution of Aristotelian Virtue Theory to Military Ethics. Doctoral dissertation, 2014.
• Parsons, Daniel S. Virtuous Soldiers: Is the Current Ethical Training Sufficient for the United States Army or Is a Character Development Programme What Soldiers and Officers Need? PhD diss., University of Birmingham, 2021.
• Pfaff, C. Anthony. “Virtue and Applied Military Ethics: Understanding Character-Based Approaches to Professional Military Ethics.” Journal of Military Ethics 22, no. 3–4 (2023): 168–184.
• Reichberg, Gregory M. “Thomas Aquinas on Military Prudence.” Journal of Military Ethics 9, no. 3 (2010): 262–275.
• Rorty, Amélie O. “The Two Faces of Courage.” Philosophy 61, no. 236 (1986): 151–171.
• Sert, Özgür, İbrahim Sani Mert, C. Sen, and K. Arun. “Exploring the Relationship between Happiness, Courage, and Justice in Lawyers’ Perspectives: A Qualitative Study.” Psychiatry, Psychology and Law (2025). https:// doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2025.2481388.
• Snow, Nancy E. “Teaching Virtues in the Military.” Journal of Military Ethics 22, no. 3–4 (2023): 185–199.
• Stanar, Dušan Ž. “Martial Virtues and Whistle-Blowing: Loyalty Misplaced and Courage Misunderstood.” Vojenské Rozhledy 30, no. 2 (2021): 26–38.
• Toner, Christopher. “The Full Unity of the Virtues.” The Journal of Ethics 18, no. 3 (2014): 207–227.
• Vigani, Daniela. “Aristotle’s Account of Courage.” History of Philosophy Quarterly 34, no. 4 (2017): 313–330.
• Walker, D. Ian. “Communities for Courage.” In The Virtue of Courage, 261. 2025.
• Zavaliy, Andrei G., and Michael Aristidou. “Courage: A Modern Look at an Ancient Virtue.” Journal of Military Ethics 13, no. 2 (2014): 174–189.
• Haber / Rapor / Web Kaynakları
• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). “Deadly Drones: Civilians at Risk from Short-Range Drones in Frontline Areas of Ukraine (24 February 2022–30 April 2025).” OHCHR Ukraine, 2025. https:// ukraine.ohchr.org/en/Deadly-drones-Civilians-at-risk-from-short-range-drones-in-frontline-areas-of- Ukraine-24-February-2022-30-April-2025.
• Reuters. “Drones Become Most Common Cause of Civilian Deaths in Ukraine War – UN Says.” Reuters, February 11, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/drones-become-most-common-cause-death-civilians-ukraine-war-un-says-2025-02-11.
• “Remote Control Killing: Military Virtue in an Age of Post-Heroic Warfare.” ABC Religion and Ethics, 2019. https:// www.abc.net.au/religion/remote-control-killing-military-virtue-in-an-age-of-post-heroic-/10097056.
• “Technology and the Soldier’s Will to Fight: How Can We Foster Courage in Our New Era?” NSI, 2023. https:// nsiteam.com/social/technology-and-the-soldiers-will-to-fight-how-can-we-foster-courage-in-our-new-era/.
• “Human-Machine War: How the Mind-Tech Nexus Will Win Future Wars.” NSI, 2023. https://nsiteam.com/social/ human-machine-war-how-the-mind-tech-nexus-will-win-future-wars/.
• “Drone Warfare, Heroism, and Masculinity.” Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), 2019. https:// aoav.org.uk/2019/25703/.