Are some choices morally superior to others? What constitutes right action? What does it mean to be responsible? Which is more important: intent or outcome? These are all questions that concern people in general and ethicists in particular. Ethics considers how life should be, and how people know what is good and what is bad.
In Ethics in International Relations, we will be dealing with these questions as they apply to the interaction of states, groups and peoples across political borders. This course is divided into two main sections. First we will examine several views on how, if at all, questions of ethics apply to intenational relations. Then we will undertake an in-depth study of two broad international issues: human rights and war. The class is discussion intensive and driven by the "Socratic Seminar" style where students take an active part in guiding their learning.