Moral Claims in World Affairs

This collection of essays explores in general terms the nature of the moral claims common in global politics and the phenomenon of partisan cosmopolitanism in particular. Detailed discussions are presented of the attempts to rescue a single body of human ideals from the multitude of systems that presently prevail, of the group, rather than universal basis of human morality, of the perennial tension between ‘realism’ and ‘idealism’, of human rights, justice and evil in the politics of the Powers.

This volume contains essays by Hedley Bull ("Human Rights and World Politics"), J.D.B. Miller ("Morality, Interests and Rationalisation"), R.J. Vincent ("Western Concepts of a Universal Moral Order"), W.H. Smith ("Justice: National, International or Global?"), A.L. Burns ("Injustice and Evil in the Politics of the Powers"), Jan Pettman ("Race, Conflict and Liberation in Africa"), Michael B. Yahuda ("Moral Precepts in Chinese Foreign Policy"), Vendulka Kubálková ("Moral Precepts in Contemporary Soviet Politics") and Ralph Pettman ("Moral Claims in World Politics").