Work

Moral Injury as a Precondition for Reconciliation: An Anthropology of Veterans’ Lives and Peacemaking

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: In this article, I rely on religious existential philosophy to make sense of the moral restoration expressed by combat veterans who engage in reconciliation with former enemies after suffering from moral injury. Moral injury is the persistent feeling of having betrayed one’s deepest moral values. Anthropological research and analyses of combat veterans’ testimony suggest that moral injury may be associated with reconciliation, which is considered here as a manifestation of an inner transformation akin to existential philosophies of striving for moral authenticity. Specifically, it is argued that Thomas Merton’s defense of living a morally authentic life, which constitutes a process of moving from spiritual woundedness to social engagement with the other, parallels the transition of combat veterans involved in postconflict reconciliation efforts. Given this correspondence, existential moral transformation is considered alongside the anthropology of peace for explaining moral injury as a precondition for reconciliation, notably after armed conflict.

Source: Religions

DOI: 10.3390/rel15091089

Author: Jordan Kiper

Institution: University of Alabama at Birmingham

Language: English

Topic: War, Law, and Justice

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,046