Humanitarian Intervention: Moral Perspectives

This thesis addresses primary concepts in the humanitarian intervention debates. I argue that humanitarian intervention is a perfect duty. The global community has a moral obligation to act decisively in the face of extreme human rights abuses. There are two contrasting theoretical perspectives regarding international relations and humanitarian intervention: statism and cosmopolitanism. These contrasting perspectives contest the relative value of state sovereignty and human rights. Some of the most prominent ethicists in the debate have determined states have a “right” to intervene militarily in the internal affairs of other states to halt severe human rights abuses but there is no “duty”to intervene. These conclusions are largely based upon consequentialist considerations. This thesis argues a deontological perspective is essential. References to events Rwanda, Darfur, and Kosovo are made. There is a critical role for preemptive actions to play in addressing humanitarian crises and calls for global justice.

Grantor dc:publisher

UNF Digital Commons

Year dc:date

2016

Author dc:creator

• Clark, Tyrome

• Thesis; University of North Florida; UNF; Dissertations; Academic -- UNF -- Master of Arts in Practical Philosophy and Applied Ethics; Dissertations; Academic -- UNF -- Philosophy; perfect duties; humanitarian intervention; human rights; sovereignty; statism; cosmopolitanism; morally determinant; preemption; deontological ethics; consequentialist ethics
• Ethics and Political Philosophy

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/633

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.unf.edu:etd-1657