The problem of harm in world politics: implications for the sociology of states-systems

Martin Wight's Systems of states is renowned for setting out a grand vision of the sociology of states-systems which has undoubted importance for contemporary efforts to build connections between historical sociology and international relations. Wight's interest in the fate of conceptions...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International affairs (London) 2002-04, Vol.78 (2), p.319-338
Main Author: Linklater, Andrew
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cruelty
Human rights
Humanity
International affairs
International politics
International Relations
Liberalism
Martin Wight
Morality
Political sociology
Political Systems
Political theory
Politics
Sociology
State
States (Political Subdivisions)
Treaties
War
World order
Wright, Martin
Writers
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Martin Wight's Systems of states is renowned for setting out a grand vision of the sociology of states-systems which has undoubted importance for contemporary efforts to build connections between historical sociology and international relations. Wight's interest in the fate of conceptions of the unity of humankind in different states can be developed in a study of the impact of cosmopolitan harm conventions in states-systems. What is most interesting from this point of view is how far different international systems regarded harm to individuals as a problem which all states, individually and collectively, should strive to solve. A central question for such an approach is whether the modern states-system has progressed in making unnecessary suffering a moral problem for the world as a whole.
ISSN:0020-5850
1468-2346
DOI:10.1111/1468-2346.00253