1
MICHAEL SKERKER
Luce Hall (mail stop 7-B)
US Naval Academy
Annapolis MD 21402
EDUCATION
Ph.D. University of Chicago Divinity School, June 2004
Dissertation: “Pragmatism, Pluralism, and the Salience of Doubt”
M.A. University of Chicago Divinity School, 1999
B.A. Magna Cum Laude, Brown University, 1997
EMPLOYMENT
Associate Professor, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, 2014-
Assistant Professor, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD, 2009-
Visiting Assistant Professor, Depaul University, Chicago IL, 2005-2009
Adjunct Professor, Depaul University, Chicago, IL, 2001, 2003-2004
Lecturer, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2001, 2003-2004
TEACHING
Courses taught at USNA:
NE203 Moral Reasoning and Ethics for the Naval Leader (fall 2009-present)
NP485 Ethics and the War on Terror (fall 2010, 2011, 2013, 2015)
NP336 Philosophy of Religion (fall 2009, spr 2010, spr 2011, 2017)
NP486 Christian and Islamic Just War Theory (fall 2012, spr 2013)
NP485C Jihadist Theology (spr 2014, 2015, 2017)
Independent study: Christian and Islamic Just War Theory (spr 2012)
Independent study: Humanitarian Intervention (spr 2014)
b. Course coordination:
NE203 Moral Reasoning and Ethics for the Naval Leader (fall 2009-present; co-coordinator)
Course development:
NP485 Ethics and the War on Terror
NP336 Philosophy of Religion
NP485 Christian and Islamic Just War Theory
NP485C Jihadist Theology
SCHOLARSHIP AND SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY
Books
An Ethics of Interrogation (University of Chicago Press, 2010)
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
"Seeking a Variable Standard of Individual Moral Responsibility in Organizations," Ethical Theory and Moral Practice, vol. 17, no. 2, (Apr 2014).
“The Rights of Irregular Combatants,” International Journal of Intelligence Ethics, vol. 2, no. 1, (spr 2011): 35-49.
“Intelligence Ethics and Non-Coercive Interrogation,” Defense Intelligence Journal, 16-1 (2007): 61-76.
“Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach and Religion,” Journal of Religion, vol. 84 (July 2004): 379-409.
“Just War Criteria and the New Face of War,” Journal of Military Ethics, Vol. 3, No. 1, (Spring 2003): 27-39; reprinted in Military Ethics, eds. C.A.J. Coady and Igor Primorantz, (Ashgate, 2008); Ethics and the Military Profession, eds. George Lucas and Rick Rubel (Pearson, 2011).
Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters
“Ethical Perspectives on Interrogation: An analysis of Contemporary Techniques,” with Maria Hartwig and Timothy Luke, in The Routledge Handbook of Criminal Justice Ethics, (New York, NY: Routledge Press, 2016).
“Moral Implications of Data-Mining, Key-word Searches, and Targeted Electronic Surveillance,” Binary Bullets, eds. Bradley Strawser and Fritz Alhoff, (Oxford University Press, 2015.)
“An Empirical Defense of the Moral Equality of Combatants,” in When Soldiers Say No: Selective Conscientious Objection in the Modern Military,eds.Andrea Ellner, Paul Robinson & David Whetham, (Ashgate, 2013).
“Jesus and Mars: The Christian Just War Tradition,” in Enemy Combatants, Terrorism, and Armed Conflict Law, ed. David Linnan, (Praeger, 2008)
“Interrogation Ethics in the Context of Intelligence Collection,” in Ethics of Spying: A Reader for Intelligence Professionals, ed. Jan Goldman, (Scarecrow Press, 2006)
Book Reviews
Mainstreaming Torture, by Rebecca Gordon, Journal of Religion 96.1 (2015).
Terror, Religion, and Liberal Thought, by Richard B. Miller, Journal of Law and Religion 27.2 (2011-12), 495.
Morality and War, by David Fisher, Journal of the American Academy of Religion 80.3 (2012), 820-22.
PUBLICATIONS IN PROCESS
Book
Soldiers and Soldiers: The Moral Equality of Combatants
Winner of 2013 American Philosophical Association Charles Sharp Memorial Prize for best unpublished manuscript on military ethics.Sent out for review.
Sovereignty and the New Executive Authority, co-editor with Claire Finkelstein, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, in press).
Military Virtues, co-series editor with David Whetham, (Hampshire, UK: Howgate Publishing, forthcoming)
Article
“A Moral Foundation for Government Secrecy,” in Sovereignty and the New Executive Authority, co-edited with Claire Finkelstein, (Oxford: Oxford University Press,in press).
“Humility” in Military Virtues, accepted by co-editors Feb. 2018.
“Compassion for Enemies,” co-written with Lt. Gen John Sattler, in Military Virtues, submitted to co-editors, Apr. 2018.
“Individual Responsibility for Collective Actions,” in Routledge Handbook on Collective Responsibility, ed. Saba Bazargan and Deborah Tollefson, first draft submitted June 2017; second draft due May 2018.
“Moral Concerns Associated with Rapport-based Interrogation Techniques: The Case of the Perkins Interrogator,” in Torture and Interrogation: Research on Efficacy and its Integration with Morality and Legality, eds. Steven Barela, Mark Fallon, Gloria Gaggioli, Jens David Ohlin, under contract with Oxford University Press, submitted to editors August 2017.
“Unreliable Protection: Proportionality Judgements in War,” with Daniel Statman and Raanan Sulitzeanu-Kenan, submitted to Philosophy and Public Affairs, Mar 11, 2018.
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
“Freedom of Expression vs. Incitement to Terrorism,” ERC working group on Counter-Terrorism and Collective Responsibility, Oxford, June 22-23, 2018.
“Autonomous Weapon Systems and the Moral Equality of Combatants,” Ethics of AWS workshop, All Souls College, Oxford, May 9, 2018.
“Interrogation: Efficacy and Ethics,” ERC working group on Counter-Terrorism and Collective Responsibility, Oxford, Feb. 22, 2018.
[keynote] “Interrogation Ethics,” HIG Research Symposium, Washington DC, Oct. 19, 2016.
[keynote] “Individual Responsibility in Terrorist Groups,” Collective Intentionality Conference X, The Hague, Aug 29-Sept 2, 2016.
“The Implications of Revisionist Just War Theory for Civil-Military Relations,” McCain Conference, Annapolis, April 20, 2016.
“Moral Ballast for a Service Member’s Journey from War to Home Front,” Inter-Varsity Conference on Armed Forces and Society, Chicago, Oct 30-Nov 1, 2015.
“Medieval and Early Modern Perspectives on the Moral Equality of Combatants,” The Future of War Conference, Monterrey, CA, Oct 7-9 2015.
“Government Secrecy” Georgetown Political Theory Workshop, Georgetown University, April 2015.
“Historical Perspectives on the Moral Equality Debate,” McCain Conference, Annapolis MD, April 20, 2015.
“Moral Implications of Data-Mining and Key-Word Searches,” Boucher Workshop, Boucher Center, Geneva, Switzerland, May 20, 2014.
Symposium on An Ethics of Interrogation, by Michael Skerker and The Ethics of Interrogation, by Paul Lauritzen, chaired by Richard B. Miller, Association for Practical and Professional Ethics Annual Meeting, Jacksonville, Feb 27, 2014.
“A Moral Foundation for Government Secrecy,” Center for Ethics and Rule of Law Conference, Philadelphia, Nov. 22, 2013.
Panel discussion “Can They Do That? Ethical Concerns Regarding Interrogation,” HIG Research Symposium, Oct. 16, 2013. [Canceled because of government shutdown.]
“The Rights of Irregular Combatants,” Naval Postgraduate School, May 22, 2013.
“Moral Considerations in Designing New Interrogation Methods,” National Research Council Conference on the Science of Interrogation, Washington DC, Sept 7, 2012.
“An Ethics of Interrogation,” HIG Research Unit Meeting, Washington DC, Aug 16, 2012.
“Response to David Rodin’s ‘The War Trap: Paradoxes and Dilemmas of Jus Terminatio,’”
Ethics, Law, Armed Conflict Conference, Oxford University, Aug. 31, 2012.
“Should a Captured bin Laden be Mirandized?” McCain Conference, Annapolis, MD, Mar 2011.
“A Brief Introduction to Christian Just War Theory,” Barnes Symposium, University of South Carolina Law School, Apr. 2005.
REFEREED PRESENTATIONS
“A Contractualist Objection to Autonomous Weapon Systems,” Euro ISME, Toledo, Spain, May 14, 2018.
“A Contractualist Foundation for Jus in Bello,” International Studies Association, San Francisco, Apr 7, 2018.
“Historical Challenges to Revisionist and Conventionalist Just War Theory” The Future of Just War Theory Conference, Monterrey, CA, Sept 2015.
“Medieval and Early Modern Views of the Moral Equality of Combatants, McCain Conference, Annapolis, MD, Apr 20, 2015.
“The Moral Gravity of Selective Conscientious Objection,” Euro International Society of Military Ethics Conference, Shrivenham, UK, June 15, 2012.
“An Empirical Re-Framing of the Question of the Moral Equality of Combatants,” International Society of Military Ethics Conference, San Diego, Jan. 2012.
“Possible Moral Foundations for the Privilege against Compelled Self-Incrimination,”
Association of Law, Culture, and Humanities Conference, Providence, Mar. 2010.
“POW rights for Irregular Combatants?” International Society of Military Ethics Conference, San Diego, Jan. 2010.
“Intelligence Ethics and Interrogation,” Ethics and Intelligence Conference, Springfield, VA, Jan. 2006.
“The Moral Case for Improved Technology, Training, and Intelligence,” Joint Services Conference on Professional Ethics, Springfield, VA, Jan. 2004.
“Religion and Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach,” American Academy of Religion, Atlanta, Nov. 2003.
“Business Ethics, Law, and Society,” Conference on Law and the Humanities, Cordoza Law School, NYU, Mar. 2003.
“Just War Criteria and Asymmetrical Warfare,” Joint Services Conference on Professional Ethics, Springfield, VA, Jan. 2003.
INVITED WORKSHOPS
Workshop on Arctic Warfare, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, June 14, 2018.
Workshop to discuss book by Adil Haque, Washington DC, April 2, 2016
Workshop on Helen Frowe’s Defensive Killing, New York, NY,
Georgetown Political Theory Workshop, April 2015.
Boucher Seminar, May 20, 2014.
Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict workshop, Oxford, UK, Aug. 31, 2012; Sept 9-11, 2014, Aug 28-29, 2015.
Cyberwar Workshop, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterrey, May 19, 2014.
Workshop on the Routledge Handbook of Ethics and War, Sonoma, May 16, 2014.
Participant in Stockdale fellows seminar on military ethics, USNA, (2010-present)
AWARDS
2017 Admiral Jay L. Johnson fellowship (16 days of funding for class development)
2015 James B. Stockdale Fellowship (paid 30% of salary while on sabbatical)
2013 American Philosophical Association Charles Sharp Memorial Prize for best unpublished manuscript on Military Ethics
(2012 nominee) The Class of 1951 Civilian Faculty Teaching Excellence Award
(2011, 2013 nominee) Apgar Teaching Award
MEDIA
Op-ed “Torture is not a Partisan Issue,” Baltimore Sun, Dec. 18, 2014.
Interviewed by Providence Journal Bulletin, Wall Street Journal, The Weekly Standard, 2015.
Interviewed regarding An Ethics of Interrogation on C-Span Book TV, Oct. 2, 2012.
SERVICE AT USNA
Co-coordinatorfor NE203 (Moral Reasoning for Naval Leaders)
-editing weekly quizzes and exams
-editing the NE203 instructor guide (~500 ppt slides)
-revising curriculum and assessment modules
NE203 pilot committee member, 2017
NARC committee, 2013-2015
Research Excellence Committee, 2012-2015
Personnel committee, 2010-2012
Academic Affairs committee 2012-
LEL Search Committee, 2012-2013, 2017, 2018
Plebe adviser, 2010-2012
Socratic Society ECA faculty adviser, 2010-2013
Facilities Committee, 2017
Assessment Committee, 2017-
Mentored 4 LEAD M.A. candidates (company officers), 2015-2016
Arranged visits by Prof Jon Ebel of University of Illinois (Feb 2011), Prof. John Carlson of ASU (May 2011), former CIA Case Officer Glenn Carle (Nov 2011, 2013), former CIA Officer Barry McManus (Nov 19, 2013).
SERVICE OUTSIDE USNA
Senior Associate, Principia Advisory SARL, 2018-
Consultant for Orange County District Attorney’s Office, 2015-
Consultant for LAPD’s Major Crimes Unit, 2015-
Member of Advisory Committee to High Value Detainee Interrogation Group, 2012-
Manuscript reviewer for Routledge Press (2); Journal of Religion and Business Ethics (3); and others