Exploration of the ethical dimension of Network Enabled Operations: Toward a philosophical framework of analysis Abstract The transformation to Network Enabled Operations (NEO) is based on a vision of intensive military cooperation and information sharing by making use of network

The transformation to Network Enabled Operations (NEO) is based on a vision of intensive military cooperation and information sharing by making use of network technologies. Underlying this vision are moral assumptions on how people will behave when operating in a network. The current status of NEO research leaves out the ethical dimension of working in a highly technologically mediated environment. Also research on military ethics does not take into account the way technology possibly affects moral behaviour. Therefore there is a need to develop a philosophical framework to analyse NEO. Philosophy of technology serves as a background to study the role of technology when making moral decisions. A framework developed by Herman Dooyeweerd called ‘multi aspects’ analysis is used to explore the coherence, unity and diversity in which NEO functions in practice. An analysis of NEO in terms of the 15 aspects is presented. Implications from this analysis for empirical research to study specific problems and ethical issues in NEO are discussed. Preface Philosophical analyses directed to human behaviours in the context of Network Enabled Operations (NEO) are rare. We believe however that for a full exploitation of the added value of NEO, ethics and morality should be addressed more seriously. The soldier need to deal a wide diversity of perspectives and multiple interests of the parties collaborating in comprehensive, networked operations. In a research program called “Moral fitness of military personnel in a networked operational environment” philosophers, psychologists, and social scientists study from diverse perspectives role and behaviours of the human in the network and the ethical dimension of networktechnologies. This paper is written from a philosophical viewpoint aiming to explore concepts that may provide a better understanding of the complexity of real life issues. Introduction The Military is increasingly making use of network technology to facilitate cooperation and information sharing within and between their organisations and also with non-military agencies. In these complex and ad-hoc, multinational settings, the label Network Enabled Operations (NEO) is used to describe the added value of a 1 Royakkers, L., Essens, P. & Verwey, D. Moral fitness of military personnel in a networked operational environment. Research grant (2009-2013) received from the The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) under the Research Theme: Responsible Innovation. 2 We use the term NEO or NEOps equivalent to NEC (Network Enabled Capability), NCW (Network Enabled Warfare), NBD (Network Based Defence), and the like.