MORAL ORDER, VIRTUE, AND AUTHORITY: STOICISM AND CATHOLICISM AS ETHICAL FOUNDATIONS FOR THE TRAINING OF AMAZONAS MILITARY POLICE OFFICERS

Abstract

The activity of Military Police officers requires a high level of ethical maturity, emotional balance, and the ability to exercise authority legitimately in contexts marked by conflict, risk, and social pressure. Contemporary studies on police training indicate that the exercise of the State’s legitimate use of force demands preparation that goes beyond technical and operational training, requiring solid moral formation aligned with human rights principles and the dignity of the human person.In this context, police training cannot be restricted to normative instruction or operational training alone, but must include character development and the internalization of moral virtues. This article analyzes the ethical and formative convergences between Stoicism and Catholicism, based on classical philosophy, patristic tradition, and the historical construction of Western moral order. The research adopts a qualitative and bibliographic approach, articulating classical Stoic authors, Church Fathers, and contemporary thinkers such as C. S. Lewis, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Pierre Hadot, relating these references to the institutional values of the Military Police of Amazonas.