How could I turn down an opportunity to publish in The Field Grade Leader’s most recent challenge to find the best quote in Donald Robertson’s How to think like a Roman Emperor? It is a simple challenge to find the most memorable quote and how it could help us be better leaders in the profession of arms. The quote I offer cannot be found in this book nor any of Robertson’s other works. Don’t get me wrong; Donald Robertson is an exceptional author and an amazing communicator of Stoic philosophy. In the book, “How to Think Like a Roman Emperor,” he brought to life the story and history of Marcus Aurelius in a way that inspires both the general public and military leaders. It is the desire for greater understanding of philosophy that I hope Robertson has imparted in his works. The best quotes to make us better military leaders will likely be found in the additional books on philosophy we read.

While the Stoic philosophy is uniquely suited for the military profession, it is not the only philosophy that holds utility for our profession. Many great philosophers have lived in the roughly 1,800 years since Aurelius’ death. Some have brought philosophies that liberated men and dismantled tyrannical governments, while other philosophies have resulted in the deaths of millions of citizens in search of unreachable utopias. Given how philosophies function as a way of framing how individuals view the world and approach “rational” thought, they can be weaponized. Therefore, those that do not study nor examine philosophy are vulnerable to dangerous manipulation. 

The service members of the United States military swear to protect and defend the Constitution. Yet, it is exceptionally rare to find one that has read John Locke’s “Two Treatises of Government.” The Founding Fathers drew heavily from John Locke’s Enlightenment philosophy parroting his language in protecting “life, liberty, and happiness [private property].” I challenge every service member to ask themselves if they really understand the Constitution that they swore their life to defend. Would you be able to recognize a philosophical threat to the God-given freedoms it recognizes? Do you know why the Constitution limited the power of government and placed restrictions on the U.S. military? 

Fearing a servile insurrection, the Founding Fathers imperfectly applied the Enlightenment philosophy. It was the first “American” philosophy, Transcendentalism, that picked up the torch to liberate those that were still in bondage. I truly believe every American should read Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-Reliance.” Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden” will have you questioning concepts of home, community, and wealth in ways few ever do. 

But it is the life and writings of Thomas Wentworth Higginson that might offer the best value for military leaders. Colonel Higginson was one of the “Secret Six” that funded John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry that helped spark the flame of the American Civil War. During the war, he commanded the first Black Regiment and recorded his personal philosophy in his journal “Army Life in a Black Regiment.” I wish this book was read by ever military leader as it offers simple yet effective means of adapting to diversity. He focused on a common identity found within the profession. If you could act like a soldier, then you could be accepted as a brother in arms regardless of the color of your skin or social condition. 

You cannot begin to understand the horrors of the 20th century without reading the philosophy of Karl Marx. His philosophy is seductive for its simplicity. Yet, it has the fatal fault of not addressing the greed that lies within humanity. It is estimated that over 100 million citizens were killed in the 20th century by their own government trying to establish socialist societies that theoretically should have led to the Communist utopia Marx promised. But murder after murder, Communist governments always found themselves “one more” murder away from a perfect society. We should fear anyone that speaks this broken philosophy and the desire to remove private property that the Enlightenment philosophers deemed critical for human freedom and civil society. It saddens me to know Marx’s “Communist Manifesto” is one of the most commonly assigned works in American academia with little said of the blood spilt by this cursed philosophy. Beware the individual that talks about “class conflict” and applies Marx failed economic philosophy to social issues, particularly postmodernist philosophers.  

For the experienced, the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche will offer a challenge. However, I must warn you that Nietzsche is one of the most difficult philosophers to understand. Nietzsche went insane during his life and was given to the care of his sister. She in turn profiteered and corrupted many of his works to court attention and financial support of the growing National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) Party. One of the most famous of these corrupted works was “Will to Power,” that was rejected by Nietzsche as being too simplistic after he wrote it. In this book, power was framed as the ultimate goal. This  “might makes right” mentality allowed the Nazi party to ignore traditional social restraints, such as religion, to commit terrible atrocities. 

I could continue and name dozens of other important philosophers and their works, but I am hoping by now the importance of studying philosophy has been recognized. As with Marcus Aurelius, the use of philosophy can be used to hold an empire together. The Enlightenment philosophers proposed to make citizens equal under the law and preserve their life, liberty, and property. The Transcendentalists sparked a war to free the slaves. Marx philosophy helped make the 20th century the bloodiest century in human history. A corrupted version of Nietzsche empowered the Nazis to seek power without restraint. It should be clear that philosophy isn’t a realm for “old men” in academia but deeply connected to military matters. Military leaders cannot afford to ignore this important field or only study one philosophy. So, while we wait patiently for Robertson’s next book, I encourage you to read other philosophers and continue to challenge yourself on how you view the world and our roles as leaders.

Franklin C. Annis currently serves as the Ready Medical Force Management Officer for the National Guard Bureau. He holds a Doctor of Education (EdD) degree from Northcentral University. He runs “The Evolving Warfighter” YouTube channel to share his research on Self-development. Follow him on twitter @EvolvingWar