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Fluehr-Lobban2008 Anthropology and Ethics in American Declining Imperial Age Lectura 22 Febrero .Asp PDF
Fluehr-Lobban2008 Anthropology and Ethics in American Declining Imperial Age Lectura 22 Febrero .Asp PDF
CAROLYN FLUEHR-LOBBAN
of the AAA Commission on
Engagement of Anthropology
with the US Security and
Intelligence Communities with
whom I have worked since
2006. Gratitude is also extended
to my husband and fellow
anthropologist Richard Lobban,
with whom I have engaged
in a lifetime of conversations of Human Terrain Systems. With little time to investigate or bad. Philosopher Bernard Gert has defined morality as
relevant to the subject matter of HTS, especially with respect to the implications of ‘do no avoiding, preventing or lessening harm to other humans
this paper. Finally, I thank the
editor of AT and the anonymous
harm’ and informed consent, the AAA decision to declare (2005). Thus, ‘do no harm’ is a moral principle that can be
reviewers for their helpful this engagement unethical was driven by an overriding extrapolated to an ethical injunction to avoid, prevent or
remarks and suggestions. concern about the recruitment of anthropologists, possibly lessen harm. Likewise, the lessening of harm is an exten-
1. The pledge states that to serve armed and in uniform. Two HTS-embedded social sion of common morality.
those signing it ‘believe that
anthropologists should not scientists employed by BAE Systems, who operate HTS In conflict or post-conflict situations, the extent to
engage in research and other as defence contractors, have already been killed, including which an anthropologist can avoid or prevent harm may
activities that contribute to Michael Bhatia (politics and international relations) in be severely limited or impossible to know or predict. The
counter-insurgency operations
in Iraq or in related theaters
Afghanistan in May 2008 and Nicole Suveges (political anthropologist may ask: ‘Will this action expose anyone to
in the “war on terror”. science) in June 2008. Bhatia’s prior research and humani- harm?’ However, in practice, it may be difficult to measure
Furthermore, we believe that tarian work in refugee camps in East Timor and Kosovo, the extent of risk faced by a person; in other cases a person
anthropologists should refrain and his dissertation research at Oxford University on the may willingly assume a level of risk in the interest of pre-
from directly assisting the
US military in combat, be it history of the Afghani mujahideen, illustrated the poten- venting further harm. Weighing different factors related to
through torture, interrogation, tial complexity of the motives attracting scholars to HTS preventing or lessening harm heightens awareness of the
or tactical advice.’ The Network engagement. In the TRADOC news report of his death he limitations of any real protection that an anthropologist
of Concerned Anthropologists
is an independent ad hoc
was described as ‘a civilian and an academic’. can provide. In attempts to prevent or lessen harm, partic-
network of anthropologists ular attention would be paid to the most vulnerable groups,
seeking to promote an ethical Do no harm; lessen harm usually women, children, the elderly, refugees, IDPs or
anthropology (http://concerned. ‘Do no harm’ is the gold standard of ethical codes in the human rights activists. In this case the moral principle of
anthropologists.googlepages.
com/). biomedical and behavioural sciences. This admonition protecting the vulnerable is reinforced by the ethical norm
2. Derived from Human may appear simple, but when applied to the complex con- to ‘do no harm’.2
Rights Professionals 2008. texts of research, GO or NGO work, or forms of military Those who are recruited may use ‘avoiding’ or ‘less-
3. I argued in a 1994 article
on informed consent that as
engagement, it presents many ethical quandaries. What ening harm’ as a motive for engagement with the mili-
anthropologists, ‘we are not does ‘do no harm’ mean when anthropologists study tary. Anthropologists who teach or consult for the State
exempt’. people engaged in conflict with the researchers’ immediate Department, armed forces, military colleges, defence and
4. ‘The Minerva Research employers or funders? In a military-intelligence work intelligence seminars may assert that their engagement has
Initiative is a DoD-sponsored,
university-based social science environment these studied populations would be defined the potential to lessen harm, as anthropological knowledge
research program initiated by the as ‘the enemy’. For most anthropologists, working in such and insights might influence members of the armed forces
Secretary of Defense. It focuses a context would be unethical and regarded as intelligence- – particularly the military leaders they educate – to avoid
on areas of strategic importance
to U.S. national security
gathering rather than anthropology. But what about the or stop using force in conflict zones where they are com-
policy. It seeks to increase anthropologist working with a UN peacekeeping mission manding officers implementing policy. They may see their
the Department’s intellectual where the ‘good’ and ‘bad guys’ are defined by interna- educational mission as increasing the chances of cerebral
capital in the social sciences and tional politics? Anthropologists may be motivated by rather than ‘kinetic’ responses in conflict zones. However,
improve its ability to address
future challenges and build principles of beneficence to populations they know well there are other kinds of harm that can be inflicted besides
bridges between the Department from past fieldwork experience, and it would not be easy physical harm, and if employers do not recognize the com-
[of Defense] and the social to weigh up all the consequences of a decision to engage. plexity of the ‘do no harm’ principle in professional ethics
science community. Minerva
will bring together universities,
‘Do no harm’ has relevance for both morality and ethics, codes, anthropologists will be vulnerable to violating it.
research institutions, and which are closely related. Morality is founded in principles The case for lessening harm also extends to the con-
individual scholars and of right conduct: it concerns principles rather than laws, troversy over Human Terrain Systems. Despite the lack
support multidisciplinary and codes or custom normative to specific groups. Ethics is a of empirical evidence so far, advocates of anthropological
cross-institutional projects
addressing specific topic areas system of moral principles, the rules of conduct, associ- work with HTS argue that their presence has resulted in
determined by the Department.’ ated with human actions described as right or wrong, good a dramatic reduction of casualties (McFate 2008). This