RE-EVALUATING THE PRIMACY OF MORAL FACTORS IN MODERN WARFARE: IMPERATIVES FOR STRATEGY FORMULATION
Keywords:
Material Resources, Moral Factors, Theory of Moral Ascendancy in Warfare, Primacy, Professional Military Education, Strategy Formulation, Strategic Outcomes, WarfareAbstract
There is a general tendency among scholars to view tangible material means of warfare as the primary determinants of strategic outcomes in armed conflicts. Contrary to this tendency, the empirical evidence suggests that, in warfare, the role of moral factors is more impactful than that of material resources. This study contends that, while material resources are not inconsequential, particularly in modern warfare, enduring success is rooted more in the moral standing of adversaries than their physical capabilities. Drawing upon various conceptual frameworks and historical evidence, the study claims that the main repository of military power is the moral dimensions of strategy, such as belief, conviction, steadfastness, willpower, leadership, and cohesion. Accordingly, it advocates the need to recalibrate priorities in the formulation of strategy and to increase emphasis on moral aspects in professional military education. The conceptual insights guiding this study have been taken from the Human Capital Theory and the Theory of Moral Ascendancy in Warfare, the latter being postulated herein.
Bibliography Entry
Arshad, Dr. Muhammad. 2026. "Re-Evaluating The Primacy of Moral Factors in Modern Warfare: Imperatives for Strategy Formulation." Strategic Thought (7): 41-56.
