Ethics and Foreign Policy

The dilemmas facing governments regarding the promotion of human rights are considered here. Contributors explore what an 'ethical foreign policy' means, then look at potential or actual instruments of ethical foreign policy-making; three case studies assess the difficulties raised by the incorporation of ethical considerations into foreign policy. The promotion of human rights, the punishment of crimes against humanity, the use of force with respect to humanitarian intervention: these are some of the complex issues facing governments in recent years. The contributors to this book offer a theoretical and empirical approach to these issues. Three leading normative theorists first explore what an 'ethical foreign policy' means. Four contributors then look at potential or actual instruments of ethical foreign policy-making: the export of democracy, non-governmental organisations, the International Criminal Court, and bottom-up public pressure on governments. Finally, three case studies examine more closely developments in the foreign policies of the US, the UK, and the European Union, to assess the difficulties raised by the incorporation of ethical considerations into foreign policy.