Arguments Against Conscription

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In this paper, I will argue that conscription should not be practiced in South Korea. One argument against conscription is that a person has the right to chose what they do with their lives. Some other arguments are the it affects the types of relationships enlistees can have and it pressures males to prove that they are “men.” This view will be supported by Kantianism and Egoism. Conscription is unfair and should not be forced on citizens.

Conscription is mandatory military service and men between the ages of 18 and 36 are forced to fulfill this requirement in the army, navy, marines, or air force. Mandatory military service began in 1965. Conscription lasts around two years. Males with certain medical problems are allowed to withhold from …show more content…

Some people who have dual citizenship revoke their rights as a Korean citizen. They have until the age of 18 to decide but if they decide to evoke it after, they still have to serve time in the military. There have also been scandals where politicians and celebrities try to skip enlistment by forging documents that say they have medical problems. Those who refuse to to serve in the military can receive up to 18 months in prison.

People have a right to chose what they do with their lives. Men in South Korea have to put their lives on hold for two years because their government demands them to. It is immoral to control a person’s life. Under Kantianism, the mere means principle states that people are not supposed to be used as a means to an end. Therefore, conscription is immoral.

Two years in the military can affect how a person interacts with others. When a male is in military training they are cut off from the outside world and are often watched by their superiors. Everyone that enters into the military start off at the lowest rank possible and are treated badly by those who are above them. At the beginning of military duty, males have to endure a notoriously grueling five-week basic training program. This is one of the reasons that suicide rates are high in South

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