Ethics and International Affairs
Ethics and International Affairs

"Ethics & International Affairs" Winter Issue

Jan 8, 2013

Ethics & International Affairs is pleased to announce the publication of its winter 2012 issue. This issue features an essay by Oran Young on stewardship of the Arctic; a special section on “Safeguarding Fairness in Climate Governance” with articles by Jonathan Pickering, Steve Vanderheiden, Seumas Miller, and David Schlosberg; and book reviews by Patrick Hayden, Henry S. Richardson, Henry Radice, and Ayse Kaya.

ESSAY Arctic Stewardship: Maintaining Regional Resilience in an Era of Global Change [Full Text] Oran Young What sorts of harms arising from changes now occurring in the Arctic are actionable, and who can and should take the actions required to respond to these harms?

SPECIAL SECTION: SAFEGUARDING FAIRNESS IN GLOBAL CLIMATE GOVERNANCE

Introductory Note Jonathan Pickering and Steve VanderheidenRecent developments in climate policy have done little to suggest that the world is acting quickly enough to avoid a dangerous rise in global temperatures. Yet, as it becomes increasingly clear that global emissions will need to peak within the next few years if we are to stem global warming, a dramatic change in short-term policies is also required.

“If Equity’s In, We’re Out”: Scope for Fairness in the Next Global Climate Agreement Jonathan Pickering, Steve Vanderheiden, and Seumas MillerThis article sets out a conceptual framework for normative theorizing about fairness in international negotiations, with a particular emphasis on the role of feasibility considerations. We argue that a fair and feasible agreement will require reforming the current dichotomy between developed and developing countries’ commitments, coupled with a more principled approach to differentiating the level of national mitigation efforts.

Climate Justice and Capabilities: A Framework for Adaptation Policy David Schlosberg This article argues that most well-known approaches to climate justice have two important weaknesses, in that they fail to take advantage of two crucial developments: one, the identification of social and political misrecognition as the key underlying condition of the maldistribution of goods and risks; and two, the influential capabilities approach, which focuses on the specific range of basic needs and capabilities that human beings require to function. Coaxing Climate Policy Leadership Steve Vanderheiden In this article, I identify several conditions for and obstacles to effective international policy leadership with a view toward creating the conditions for that leadership to emerge, and suggest how such an overtly strategic analysis might address some key unexplored territory in climate ethics.

REVIEWS The Right to Justification: Elements of a Constructivist Theory of Justice by Rainer Forst Review by Henry S. Richardson In this booka tour de force that exhibits both a compelling, unified vision and a wide range of concrete insightsForst explains how his unified theory provides a universal and indubitable basis for “constructing” human rights, by which he means both justifying them and generating their content. Dignity in Adversity: Human Rights in Troubled Times by Seyla Benhabib Review by Patrick Hayden In this book, Benhabib makes a compelling case for a “cosmopolitanism without illusions” that may help show the way through an uncertain world transformed and scarred by globalization. Global Civics: Responsibilities and Rights in an Interdependent World edited by Hakan Altinay Review by Ayse Kaya Global Civics is an attempt to ignite a dialogue about responsibilities and rights in an increasingly interdependent world, and should be of interest to anyone who finds the ethical dimension in globalization neglected. Humanitarian Negotiations Revealed: The MSF Experience edited by Claire Magone, Michaël Neuman, and Fabrice Weissman Humanitarian Reason: A Moral History of the Present by Didier Fassin Review by Henry Radice These two recent works make a complementary and refreshing contribution to the burgeoning field of humanitarian studies. Both books shed new light on the authority that humanitarians wield as mediators of suffering, the relationship between humanitarianism and politics, and the nature of “humanitarian space.”

You may also like

AUG 27, 2021 News

Just Out: "Ethics & International Affairs" Summer 2021 Issue

The highlight of this issue is a roundtable organized by Adrian Gallagher on the responsibility to protect in a changing world order. The roundtable contains ...

FEB 15, 2024 News

Carnegie Council Launches Tool Mapping the Impact of Data Fusion Technology on Freedom, Security, and Human Rights

Carnegie Council has released an interactive tool showcasing the civil liberties implications of data fusion technology, particularly with respect to freedom, security, and human rights.

JAN 31, 2024 News

Carnegie Council Launches “Unlocking Cooperation” Event Series

Carnegie Council announces a new event series exploring novel pathways to revitalize multilateral cooperation.