Is Michael Walzer right to suppose that there are supreme emergencies that ?????require us to set the rules aside? Assess ?????the significance of ethics in international rela
Write a 2,000 word answering ONE of the following questions:
- Is Michael Walzer right to suppose that there are ‘supreme emergencies’ that require us to ‘set the rules aside’?
- Assess the significance of ethics in international relations. Are we speaking of ‘thick’ or ‘thin’ accounts? Discuss in relation to 21st century world politics.
Your final essay (For Ethics)
Deadline: April 12th (1pm)
2000 words (maximum) there is a +/- 10% rule, but try to get as close as possible
Questions are in the module handbook (choose one)
You should be looking at upwards of 10 sources
Nearly all of them should be academic sources (you get graded on this)
Academic sources integrate theory, discuss key concepts, and are peer reviewed (so you can trust them)
News articles and websites are useful for empirical examples, but are largely ignorant of relevant theory/concepts
Integrate Ethics!
You must do this.
You are evaluated based on your knowledge and understanding of the topic and key concepts discussed in the module
If you don’t incorporate ethics, how can I determine your knowledge of it?
Again, use academic sources to avoid this problem
Useful journals:
Ethics & International Affairs
Ethics & Global Politics
Philosophy and Social Criticism
Style and Presentation
Edit your work!
My will to live fades each time I grade an unedited essay
Part of your grade is based on your essay’s style and presentation (grammar, spelling, bibliographic style)
Poor grammar and sentence structure often obscures the point you’re trying to make. Be direct in your writing and work to engage the reader
Structure and Argument
Clearly state your argument in the introduction, refer to it throughout, reintroduce it in the conclusion
Integrate counterpoints in your discussion
Don’t relegate a counterpoint to a paragraph towards the end
Instead, use the contrast throughout your essay to support your argument
Question 1: What would an ethical foreign policy look like?
Use an ethical framework in justifying your vision of an ‘ethical foreign policy’
You could also argue that there is no such thing as an ethical foreign policy the system excludes morality
What would shape your foreign policy? Intervention? Development? Cosmopolitanism?
This questions is VERY open and you can incorporate a lot of different ideas
Question 2: Is the global order harmful to women?
Global institutional architecture is harmful
Do we need to do something about it?
What can we do about it?
What should we do about it?
Pogge and Global Justice is a good framework to use
You could also look at it in terms of human rights
Cosmopolitanism
Care Ethics is also a good option (see Weeks 5 and 9)
Quite a broad question, so draw upon concepts and theories discussed in other modules
Question 3: To what extent do borders operate as a form of violence in world politics?
Border as Method is a good place to start
Look at arguments made by cosmopolitans
Borders used to exclude, to distinguish between humans
Borders enable violence
Sovereignty
Camps as bare life
Could also look at how human rights functions in relation to borders
Question 4: is ethics too anthropocentric? Discuss in relation to climate change and our duties, if any, to non-humans
This question is more philosophical than practical and asks you to evaluate the application of ethics and morality to non-humans
You should look at the lack of biocentric moral foundations in mainstream ethics and use that to form an argument
Keep in mind that you can argue that ethics are not too anthropocentric and that focusing on human interactions is most important. Just make sure that you are demonstrating awareness and critique of biocentric moral foundations
Question 5: Can and should we distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate targets in war?
What is a legitimate target in war?
Jus in Bello
Proportionality
Also look at how distinction is reflected in international law (Geneva Conventions, Hague Conventions, etc.)
You could also look at how emerging technology reflects this distinction (or tries to…)
Smart Bombs
Drones
Question 6: To what extent are ‘dirty hands’ an unavoidable consequence of political action within world politics?
Read the article by Walzer! (it’s on the module Reading List)
Question is about if ethics and morality are to be avoided in politics and IR
Engage with Walzer’s article and use an ethical framework (like Utilitarianism)
Examples are useful, but you could look at the practice and discipline of IR itself
Remember that the anarchy is a constructed knowledge; Week 1 is a good place to start
You can also look at Week II and the importance of the noble lie
The idea is that we want our leaders to be moral, but we also recognise that they are there to make tough choices.
Does this mean that world politics provides leaders with the freedom to act immorally?
Question 7: Critically assess the ethics of infographics in contemporary activism. Do they promote moral responsibility or performative activism?
Crucial to frame your answer in relation to a particular moral framework
e.g. Do infographics reflect deontological duties? Virtue? Social Justice?
I would recommend looking at how infographics fit (or don’t fit) under the ethics of care
Who do they centre? Do they promote attentive listening? Relationality?
You could also use a particular social movement as a case study
Question 8: Assess the significance and implications of the claim that ‘LGBT rights are human rights’
Look at how human rights are thought of differently
Value pluralism vs. universalism
Are human rights the same all over the world?
How important are moral foundations in determining our ethics?
What protections should be afforded to people on the basis of sexuality?
This question is conceptual but also practical
Example of a case study would be useful
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