An ethical compass is crucial to intelligence work
Intelligence and security services often operate in the shadows – a place where ethics must shine bright. In his inaugural lecture, Michael Kowalski calls for a clear, applied ethical framework as the foundation of intelligence work in a democracy.
Lies, manipulation, covert surveillance: these are methods we wouldn’t dream of teaching our children. Yet intelligence and security services are sometimes compelled to use them – not to protect power but to safeguard democracy.
‘That’s why ethics should not be an afterthought but the central priority’, says Kowalski. He is Professor by Special Appointment of Applied Ethics in Intelligence and Security at Leiden University and Chief Science Officer for the Dutch National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) and also serves as Dean of the NCTV Academy.
Bridging worlds
Balancing these roles takes a keen awareness of boundaries. ‘There is a wall between the two roles. They are separate worlds, but the insights should be able to pass through. They must resonate on both sides.’ As a professor by special appointment, he is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between the worlds of academia and intelligence.
In his inaugural lecture, Kowalski makes it clear: ethical reflection is not a luxury but a necessity. This applies not only when considering the means, such as wiretapping or sharing data with foreign services, but also in situations where there are no clear rules. ‘The law often leaves room for interpretation. Then ethics are what guide you.’
From law to reflection
While legislation and oversight offer important frameworks, Kowalski agrues they fall short in complex situations. Take Dutch citizens travelling to fight in conflict zones. Do you let them go, with all the associated risks? Or do you intervene, with potentially serious consequences? In such grey areas, ethics can complement the law.
He therefore calls for the institutional embedding of ethical reflection, not as a bureaucratic checklist but as a living practice embraced by professionals. He believes ethics should become as evident as legal review. That means creating space for doubt, moral dissent and taking ethical discomfort seriously – especially when the law has yet to catch up.
A house with five elements
Kowalski suggests an ethical model that unites three classical approaches: virtue ethics (who do I want to be?) as the foundation, with duty ethics (what must I do?) and consequentialist ethics (what works?) forming the roof. Together, they create a conceptual house, supported by two walls: scientific knowledge and practical wisdom. At its heart are democracy and national security.
This house can only stand if all the elements are in balance. ‘Neglect the practical experience of professionals, and ethics become sand slipping through your fingers. Lose sight of the moral principles, and it turns into opportunism.’ Ethics requires ongoing care and a collective moral memory, or as Kowalski calls it, ‘moresprudence’.
‘In intelligence work, you rarely have full clarity, yet you must act anyway. You have to remain ethically agile, without losing your moral core’
Ethical dilemmas in practice
Kowalski has also faced ethical dilemmas in his work. ‘The challenge is to stay true to what you believe is morally right – even if that goes against the tide. I’ve chosen to be resolute and to say: this is how it is; I won’t sugarcoat it.’ Uncertainty is also a factor: ‘In intelligence, you rarely have full clarity, yet you must act anyway. You have to remain ethically agile, without losing your moral core.’
Practical methods
Kowalski offers six practical methods to support ethics in the workplace: from prevention and professional development to independent oversight. ‘But’, he cautions, ‘don’t just bolt on a model. Ethics mustn’t become a paper tiger but a living dialogue between science and practice.’
Through his professorship, he aims to actively foster that dialogue in teaching for students and professionals, research on moral dilemmas and structural collaboration with the security sector. His goal? To help create a resilient democracy, where intelligence work is not detached from our values but is grounded in them.
A special dialogue
What he values most in his work? The interaction with students. ‘It’s their future. Students often bring a fresh, critical perspective that professionals within an organisation may no longer have. That makes the conversations incredibly enriching. It’s a privilege to explore such fundamental issues with them – and hopefully some of what I say will stick.’
Michael Kowalski’s inaugural lecture Uit de schaduw: ethiek als fundament van inlichtingen en veiligheid (Out of the Shadows: Ethics as the Foundation of Intelligence and Security) can also be followed online on 30 June.