Preamble

This is neither a survey, nor a guide to the literature on the ethics of intervention in general or humanitarian intervention in particular. It does not track the twists and turns of the debate on this topic within the domains of International Law, International Relations (IR) or Political Ethics. Instead, it presents a self-contained argument, making extensive use of examples and analogies taken from fields other than IR, suggesting how we might tackle the ethical issues that arise when considering humanitarian intervention.

Introduction

Is it ethical for individuals, non-governmental organisations, states and international organisations to intervene in the domestic affairs of other states on humanitarian grounds? More specifically when, if ever, is the use of force ethically justified for humanitarian purposes? Since the Cold War ended these questions have been posed with increasing frequency and urgency, for example with regard to events in Kurdistan, Iraq, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Bosnia, Kosovo, Angola and East Timor. Intervention is bound to become an issue in many other places, too.

Several circumstances have brought questions about the ethics of intervention to the fore. The rigid bipolar Cold War balance of power has gone. Powerful states can now intervene without fear of triggering a superpower conflict that might escalate into nuclear conflict. Many states are weak and bedevilled with internal strife in which the suffering of civilians seems to call for some kind of intervention.