The ethics of Carr and Wendt: Fairness and peace

Abstract

The, classical realist writings of E.H. Carr and constructivist publications of Alexander Wendt are extraordinarily influential. While they have provoked a great number of reactions within the discipline of International Relations, the ethical dimensions of their works have rarely been studied at length. This article seeks to remedy this lack of examination by engaging in an in-depth scrutiny of the moral concerns of these two mainstream International Relations scholars. On investigation, it is revealed that Carr demonstrates a strong commitment to the ethical principle of fairness and Wendt a moral concern for the prevention of the use of organized violence. These concerns are shared by Rawlsians and cosmopolitans in International Relations, and these findings may thereby encourage closer engagement between these diverse communities that rarely speak to one another and strengthen disciplinary research on morals.

Debating global justice with Carr: The crisis of laissez faire and the legitimacy problem in the twenty-first century

“…Arash Pashakhanlou’s recent response to charges of relativism can be situated in this pragmatist reading of Carr’s ethics. Contra relativist charges, Pashakhanlou argues that ‘fairness, defined as a judgment free from self-interest and deception in which the relevant parties are treated in an acceptable way under the given situation, is the ethical concern of Pashakhanlou (2018: 2). Carr’s concern with fairness and deception can be seen in his redefinition of the concept of peace.…”

“…Miller (2016) recently concluded that ‘global political theory would benefit from a dose of realism’ (2016: 229). More recently, Pashakhanlou (2018) noted that ‘Carr’s concern with fairness overlaps with the interests of Rawlsians in International Relations (IR) and the conception of justice as fairness’ (2018: 12). To the extent that Carr was concerned with the individual and fairness respectively, this article concurs that there is an affinity between his ethics on the one hand, and cosmopolitans and Rawlsians on the other.…”

“…Building on existing literature that examined the theme of morality in Carr (among others, see Johnston, 2007; Kostagiannis, 2017; Molloy, 2009; Molloy, 2014; Pashakhanlou, 2018; Rich, 2000; Scheuerman, 2011), this article situates Carr’s ethics in the context of the rise of the socialised nation – what Carr also refers to as ‘social nationalism’ – in the twentieth century. 2 It specifically focuses on the link Carr draws between the latter development and the crisis of laissez faire due to its loss of legitimacy among the lesser privileged.…”