An Introduction to International Relations

Introduction

This chapter discusses the theories of international relations that have as their principal goal the transformation of the global international order so that it better meets the objectives of global justice. It begins with a discussion of the nature of justice as it is understood in the political context, then addresses the cosmopolitan argument that principles of justice ought to apply to the world as a whole and not just within or between individual states. Next, it discusses the secondary argument that this requires significant reform of the relations between states and the democratising of the international realm. Finally, it examines the principal accounts of global justice, including Rawlsian liberalism (see Boxes 8.1 and 8.3) and cosmopolitan democracy.

Unlike other theories of international relations, theories of global justice are explicitly evaluative theories. They seek to discuss and identify the proper rules for ordering society and the relationships between its constituent parts. In particular, they assess the values that ought to guide social and political life and how they are embodied in institutions and practices. In the language of political theory, they discuss ‘the right and the good’. They do not merely explain or understand politics, but assess it normatively on the basis of ethical and moral grounds. The core concerns of these types of theories are the meaning of justice, equality, freedom and rights, and their relationship with power, violence and interests. Until relatively recently, theories of this type have been rare in the discipline. Normative or evaluative thought in international relations has been concerned mostly with the meaning of sovereignty and the norm of non-intervention rather than with justice. Cosmopolitan theorists, however, argue that the vocabularies of justice and democracy do apply to the relations between states and, furthermore, that there is a moral imperative to transform the international realm into one that better conforms to these values.

Justice and international relations

‘Justice’ is a term that has many meanings and can be used in many ways. Hedley Bull (1983), in his much-discussed Hagey lectures on justice in international relations, used it to refer to what is more commonly known as international ethics. Lawyers use the term to denote conformity with legal rulings and process, in the sense that justice has been done when the law has been followed and upheld.