Between Ethics and Politics

Although many years have elapsed since the demise of Biafra, it still remains an intractable unfinished business that seriously threatens the corporate existence of Nigeria. Most of the literature on Biafra tended to dwell more on the historical and political analysis of the war and how the factors that engendered it could be tackled. It appears however, that no ethical analysis of the issues involved in the Biafran war has been carried out in any signi¬ficant academic endeavour, hence the reason and need for a critical analytical survey of the ethical and political implications of the role of the world community in the unprecedented events that took place in Biafra.The purpose of this book is, first, to understand the twist and turns of the events and issues involved in the Biafran crisis and the role the international community played in the war. Second is to articulate the complex nature of humanitarian intervention and to stress the relevance of ethics, its interpenetration, and tandem relationship with international relations on a broader level, and in particular, humanitarian intervention as a foreign policy action.The main claim of our argument is that ethics is part and parcel of international relations. Divorcing ethics from international relations leads to amorality that threatens the world order. In other words, it is argued that ethical considerations should guide international affairs and the undertaking of humanitarian intervention. Behind this basic thesis, the book defends the idea of a 'global ethic'. Global ethic means an ethic which acknowledges respect for human life and the interconnectedness and interdependence of all human beings. It is an ethic which transcends the circumscribed con¬fines of national boundaries and economic and geopolitical interests and opens them up to the larger urgent need, well-being, peaceful coexistence, and sustainability of the larger world community.Tobe Nnamani

Interrogating the ethical foundations of democracy, this volume provides an interdisciplinary understanding of key Gandhian concepts and their relevance to contemporary politics. It also re-interprets Gandhi’s complex intellectual and political relations with other influential figures of Indian politics and culture such as B. R. Ambedkar, Rabindranath Tagore and Jawaharlal Nehru. Is it possible to build an authentically democratic system in politics without concrete ethical foundations? Addressing this question in the wake of the contemporary crisis in democracy worldwide, the volume re-evaluates Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s key thoughts. It foregrounds their relevance to the ongoing struggles that attempt to reconcile the apparently dissimilar orientations of politics and ethics. Collecting fresh interdisciplinary researches, the book provides insights into Gandhi’s complex — and occasionally turbulent — intellectual and political relationships with influential figures of Indian society and politics, whether critics such as B. R. Ambedkar and friends like Rabindranath Tagore and Jawaharlal Nehru. It also presents an informed political biography of Gandhi, encapsulating the salient details of his long trajectory as a unique mass mobilizer, socio-political activist and ideologue — from his days in South Africa to his death in independent India. This book will immensely interest scholars and students of political theory, philosophy, ethics, history, and Gandhian studies.