moral cognition and the law and ethics of armed conflict

Perception is a product of cognition, which is the “mechanism” cognitive warfare attempts to tap into. Furthermore, methods of cognitive warfare blur the lines between civilian and military targets, and arguably shifts the application of force from physical to virtual domains.Ĭognitive warfare attempts to alter people’s perceptions, which is the fundamental basis for action. Cognitive warfare takes well-known and novel approaches within information, cyber, and psychological warfare to a new level by not only attempting to alter the way people think, but also how they react to information. This article briefly describes the phenomenon of cognitive warfare, and sheds light on one (of many) legal and ethical challenges that should be resolved before NATO further considers whether or not the cognitive domain should be added as the 6 th warfighting domain.Įven though propaganda and influence strategies have always existed, the sophistication of new digital technologies, and the increasingly widespread use of social media has made it possible for actors to reach larger audiences with customized and targeted content at machine speed. The gap this new domain is supposed to fill is the territory fought over in the battle for the minds of a country’s population.

An increasing amount of literature suggests adding a sixth: the cognitive domain.

NATO currently recognizes five warfighting domains: land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace.

Moral cognition and the law and ethics of armed conflict