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Basic Course on Ethics and International Affairs

Course Syllabus: Ethics and International Affairs  
Joel H. Rosenthal 11/12/01
This course outline includes required and suggested readings and links to the full texts of the lectures.

What Constitutes an Ethical Approach to International Affairs? (Lecture #1)  
Joel H. Rosenthal 01/10/01
In this discussion of the application of ethics to the study of international affairs, Rosenthal asks "Can we propose an approach that is interdisciplinary, rigorous, and that helps us to deal with urgent policy matters?"

What the Sages Say (Lecture #2)  
Joel H. Rosenthal 02/10/01
A presentation of the major theories in the field of ethics in international affairs, with a focus on the writings of George F. Kennan, Hans J. Morgenthau, Isaiah Berlin, and Reinhold Niebuhr.

Dilemmas of Humanitarian and Peace Operations (Lecture #3)  
Joel H. Rosenthal 03/10/01
From the point of view of ethics there are two overarching considerations informing most decisions regarding whether to intervene, and if so, who should do it and how should it be done: the scale of evil being committed, and the ability of the interveners to make a difference.

Making Peace: Dilemmas of Reconciliation (Lecture #4)  
Joel H. Rosenthal 04/10/01
The 20th century was one of mass murder. For a century that began with such promise it concluded with bitterness and an abundance of hatred in many areas. Perhaps it was this very dissatisfaction that led to a century's end reckoning, a mania for moral accounting.

Justice and the World Economy (Lecture #5)  
Joel H. Rosenthal 05/10/01
There are two targets for an ethical evaluation of globalization. The first is the system of global capitalism. Are its structures and rules fair? Do they need reform? Second are the actors within this system. Do they act in an ethically desirable way, given the structures within which they are operating? By what standards should we judge their behavior?

The United States: The Moral Nation? (Lecture #6)  
Joel H. Rosenthal 05/15/01
America conceives of itself as a moral nation. Therefore, policies that are perceived as immoral or amoral are not likely to be sustainable. Realists understand that the moral imperative is always a part of America's self-conception of national interest.


About This Course

Given at Fletcher School of Diplomacy, Tufts University, in 2001, this course was designed as an overview of the field of ethics and international affairs.

Three basic questions provided its structure: What relevance do ethical considerations have in international conduct? Is ethical action possible, given the realities of national interests and power politics? And how, in ethical terms, can international acts be evaluated?

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