What is obedience and is it a virtue or a good thing? Is compliance different from obedience? Why is it necessary to involve a group in the practice of obedience? Pauline Shanks Kaurin is professor and Admiral James B. Stockdale Chair in Professional Military Ethics. She holds a Ph.D. in philosophy and specializes in military ethics, “just war theory” and philosophy of law and applied ethics. She is author of “On Obedience: Contrasting Philosophies for Military, Community and Citizenry”.