Sovereignty and Responsibility - by J Moses (Hardcover)

About the Book

"For the past two decades, arguments in favour of the use of force for humanitarian purposes have rested heavily upon the concept of 'sovereignty as responsibility'. Yet the many complex challenges posed by crises in places such as Kosovo, Libya, Syria and Ukraine have illustrated the continuing failure of such normative arguments to transform the practice of international relations. This book responds to these theoretical and practical problems by drawing a sharp distinction between two strands of thought on the concept of sovereignty, one focused on power and the other on moral and legal responsibilities. Through analysis of case studies of Kosovo and Libya and consideration of the concept of the world state, the weaknesses and dangers of normative claims in support of humanitarian intervention are exposed and analysed"--

Book Synopsis

This book is a critical study of the concept of sovereignty and its relationship to responsibility. It establishes a clear distinction between empirical and normative definitions of sovereignty and examines the implications of these concepts in relation to intervention, international law, and the world state.

About the Author

Jeremy Moses is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. His research interests are in the ethics of war and intervention, with a particular focus on the Responsibility to Protect. He has previously published articles in International Politics, Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, and Global Change, Peace and Security.