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By Sawyer Depp
I didn’t really know what to expect at an Ethics Conference in West Point. I had a few conversations with another scholar about SCUSA, and I thought it might be a bunch of Ivy Leaguers trying to flex their knowledge of Voltaire or Spinoza. And I was ready. I had loaded my philosophical pistol with Camus and Cato, Machiavelli and Plato.
But the fact was that we didn’t talk about any of those names. In fact, the only philosopher we spoke about directly was Sartre and for only a few minutes.
Instead, we talked about ethics in practice. Finding the spirit to do the right thing regardless of the consequences.
Now of course, I loved this, and I cannot say enough about the actual content of the conference. But that is not what I want to write about.
See, the thing that amazed me was not the generals I was able to meet, or the campus, or the chance to stay in the barracks, or the collection of artifacts from General Eisenhower and General Macarthur. The thing that amazed me the most? The cadets.
I read a story once about the Spartans, and I believe it came from Plutarch. He said that there was an old man in Athens seeking a place to sit and watch the games, and as he passed all of the spectators, none of them offered him a seat; however, when he passed the Spartans, they all rose and offered the man their own places. In response to this action, all of the spectators cheered. To this, one of the Spartans stated, “Egad, the Athenians know what is right and fair, but do not do it.”
I had a conversation with a very intelligent cadet named Richard, and he told me, “Ya know, we just don’t have the time to argue about all of this. We just kinda have to do it.” And in the moment, I knew that that reminded me of something, but I wasn’t quite sure what. As I sat down to write this, I realized it was a quote from Marcus Aurelius, “Stop bickering about what it means to be a good man. Be one.”
The cadets had figured it out. They did not need to discern what was right. They did it. They were the Spartans.
Of course, I am not saying that they were perfect, nor am I saying the Spartans were perfect; but rather, they had a certain character that is hard to find today: They stuck unequivocally to principle.
And the reason this works so well in their environment is because they all buy in. Look, when your life depends on the person to your right and left, you better believe you need them to be upright, to be willing to help you if you fall down, to be a hard worker, and to be true. And I know that in just two days, you are not going to get at the soul of an entire campus of people. Of course, I am certain there are exceptions at West Point. And of course, I am sure they make mistakes. But they try a whole lot harder than most of us. And I have found that that — trying — makes a true leader.
And I could just feel it.
I mean it was like the leadership was seeping under the doors of their bunkers and throughout the hallways. I could see it in their eyes, in the way that they walked and talked, even in their demeanors. They expected nothing but greatness from each other, and they found it only by holding each other accountable.
That greatness is not something that is easy to achieve. It means long days and even shorter nights. It means rigorous classes and perfect attendance. It means walking back and forth for hours, in a line, if you make even the slightest mistake (something that they do, in fact, do). But that’s how you achieve it.
You see, I thought I was a fast walker (to me, something I have learned truly indicates how much someone really has going on). But the cadets left me in the dust. I know I thought I was a good man. But they were better. I know I thought I was a hard worker. But they worked harder.
And honestly, that was a difficult thing to realize. But it taught me something: I can be better. I can do more.
All I can do is hope to learn and to grow. To gain a bit of that spirit. And day by day, moment by moment, I’ll get just a bit stronger.
Sawyer, of Fort Thomas Ky., is a member of the McConnell Scholar Class of 2024 at the University of Louisville. He studies political science, history, and creative writing.