Introduction
What are the two main types of ethical questions addressed in international ethics?
The first is whether ‘outsiders’ should be treated according to the same principles as insiders, as moral equals.
The second examines what treating outsiders as equals might mean in substantive terms.
What are the two major traditions of reasoning in analytical philosophy mentioned in the text?
Deontological ethics and consequentialist ethics.
What does cosmopolitanism say about morality and human rights?
A truly moral code will be applicable
to everyone because what defines us morally is our
humanity.
No human should be treated as less than human
What is foreign-imposed regime change?
Foreign-imposed regime change refers to
instances where a state (or group of states)
removes the effective political leader of another
state by the threat or use of force and brings a different leader to power.
What are the three components of the just war tradition (JWT)?
Jus ad bellum (justice of war), jus in bello (justice in war), and jus post bellum (justice after war).
What are the three developments in world politics in 18th and 19th centuries that provoked ethical reflection?
The first was the Enlightenment and the post-revolutionary world of the French Revolution,
the second was the development of European overseas empires and colonialism,
and the third was the development of nationalism
What do realists claim about universal ethics ?
The facts of international anarchy and sovereignty mean that the only ethics are those of self-interest and survival.
Define positive and negative duties and give one example of each in international ethics.
Positive duties are duties to act, create a just social order (R2P, humanitarian aid)
Negative duties are duties to stop or avoid
harming others (non-intervention)
What drives IO formation?
- Minimize nationalism and attachment to territory
- Integration through technical tasks
- Hegemonic stability theory
- To achieve gains that they otherwise could not achieve
- Domestic reasons
What are the three main ethical responses to global poverty ?
•Utilitarian argument
• Global egalitrian argument
• Sufficientarian argument
How did the Holocaust, decolonization, and the adoption of the UN Declaration of Human Rights contribute to a renewed tension in international ethics?
The process of decolonization contributed to the end of formal racial and political hierarchy between states, while endorsing the idea of national self-determination.
The signing of the UN Declaration of Human Rights in 1945 provided something of a universal moral vocabulary of human rights, which sought to bring cosmopolitan values into a world of states.
What is the main difference between Kantianism and utilitarianism ?
Kantianism - emphasizes rules that are right because they can be, in principle, agreed on by everyone.
Utilitarianism - judges acts by their expected outcomes in terms of human welfare and the ‘greatest good of the greatest number’.
How does the doctrine of the "Responsibility to Protect" (R2P) reflect the idea of positive duties in international ethics?
R2P emphasizes that states have to actively intervene to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity
Which of the following is not how Waltz defined
domestic political structure?
A) According to how hierarchy is defined
B) By specification of the functions of formally
differentiated units
C) By the distribution of capabilities across those
units
D) According to the principle by which it is
ordered
A) According to how hierarchy is defined
What are the three principles of Jus In Bello (justice in war)?
•Proportionality of means
•Non-combatant immunity
•The law of double effect
Describe how the Enlightenment vs. European emperialism and nationalism influenced the development of international ethical thought.
The Enlightenment foregrounded the idea of universal equality (the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the US Declaration of Independence).
Meanwhile, European imperialism involved moral inequality in the practice of subjecting non-European peoples to European rule
Nationalism reinforced the distinctions between people by dividing them into separate nations and encouraging chauvinism and disregard for outsiders.
How do continental and analytical philosophies differ in their approach to international ethics ?
Analytical philosophy seeks abstract, universal moral rules independent of cultural context, supporting liberal, universalist ethics.
Continental philosophy emphasizes the context, relationships, and lived experiences, often questioning abstract universalism.
Why might thick cosmopolitanism be criticized as unrealistic, and how does thin cosmopolitanism attempt to offer a more practical ethical framework?
‘Thick’ cosmopolitans envision a radically transformed global order
Thin or statist cosmopolitans argue that people have at most only minimal duties not to harm, to aid in case of emergency, and to help
uphold minimal human rights standards.
What are the five characteristics of terrorism according to Hoffmann?
- ineluctably political in aims and motives
- violent—or, equally important, threatens violence
- designed to have far-reaching psychological repercussions beyond the immediate victim or target
- conducted either by an organization with an identifiable chain of command or conspiratorial cell structure (whose members wear no uniform or identifying insignia)
- perpetrated by a subnational group or nonstate entity
According to JWT, why is "last resort" a necessary condition for just war?
States must have used all other reasonable methods like cooperation, negotiations, and diplomacy, and the only choice left is to go to war
How does globalization challenge the Westphalian model of sovereignty in terms of ethical responsibilities?
While Westphalian sovereignty accords only minor moral significance to the suffering of outsiders, Globalization increases interconnection and allows for a far greater awareness of the suffering of ‘distant strangers’
Realist ethics prioritize state survival and national interest over universal moral principles. In the context of globalization, how do realist thinkers critique moral obligations to outsiders?
Realist thinkers justify focusing on state survival and national interest by arguing that the international system is anarchic, meaning there is no overarching authority to enforce universal moral rules. Therefore, the primary duty of a statesperson is to protect their own citizens, making self-help and strategic interests morally necessary
How does Kant's concept of the 'categorical imperative' support the cosmopolitan view of moral obligation?
The categorical imperative asserts that all humans must be treated as ends in themselves. This principle requires that moral rules must apply equally to everyone, regardless of nationality, race, or cultural background.
Why do states decide to pursue regional integration? List 4 themes.
- Management of independence
- Management of interdependence
- Management of internationalization
- Spheres of interest / influence
What is the ethical dilemma posed by the foreseeability of civilian deaths under the doctrine of double effect?
It questions whether moral responsibility is avoided simply because the deaths were not intended, even if they were clearly foreseeable.