Dr. Pauline Shanks Kaurin holds a PhD in Philosophy from Temple University, specializing in military ethics, just war theory, and applied ethics. She is currently a Senior Research Associate at the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence at Case Western Reserve University. She served as the Stockdale Chair and Professor of Professional Military Ethics at the US Naval War College in the College of Leadership and Ethics from 2018-2025. She was Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma WA from 2012-2018 and a teaching faculty member from 1997-2018. She also holds a BA in Philosophy and International Relations from Concordia College, MN and an MA in Philosophy from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg. She lives in southwestern Montana.

Recent publications include: Achilles Goes Asymmetrical: The Warrior, Military Ethics and Contemporary Warfare (Routledge 2014) and On Obedience: Contrasting Philosophies for Military, Citizenry and Community (US Naval Institute Press, 2020.)  

She was Featured Contributor for The Strategy Bridge and has published in Clear Defense, The Wavell Room, Newsweek, War on the Rocks, Grounded Curiosity, US Naval Institute Proceedings, Just Security, as well as a variety of academic journals.