
Jeffrey Polet on the Philosophy of Gen. Stanley McChrystal
From Acton Line by Acton Institute
April 22, 2026 · 49 min · Episode 551
About this episode
Dan Hugger speaks with Jeffrey Polet about the philosophy of honor and leadership as discussed in Gen. Stanley McChrystal's book.
In this episode Dan Hugger speaks with Jeffrey Polet, professor emeritus of political science at Hope College and director of the Ford Leadership Forum at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation. They discuss his review of Gen. Stanley McChrystal's book On Character: Choices That Define a Life, “The Honor of General Stanley McChrystal,” which was published at Religion & Liberty Online. The conversation explores the nature of honor, the distinction between conviction and discipline, and what philosophy for soldiers looks like in practice. Subscribe to our podcasts Watch this podcast here The Honor of General Stanley McChrystal | Jeffrey Polet On Character: Choices That Define a Life | General Stanley McChrystal If you’d like to support this podcast, you can help by leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts. If you have questions or suggestions for a future episode, you can email us at podcast@acton.org. The tip at the opening of this podcast is informational and educational in nature. It is not offering professional tax, legal, or accounting advice. For specific advice about the effect of any planning concept on your tax or financial situation or with your estate, please…
People in this episode
Host: Dan Hugger
Guest: Jeffrey Polet
Topics covered
- philosophy
- honor
- military ethics
- character
- leadership
Keywords
- Stanley McChrystal
- honor
- philosophy
- military
- leadership
- character
- discipline
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Hope College, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, Religion & Liberty Online
Books & works: On Character: Choices That Define a Life, The Honor of General Stanley McChrystal
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