Classifying states: instrumental rhetoric or a compelling normative theory?

Coakley, Mathew; Maffettone, Pietro

Abstract

Many states use a classificatory approach to foreign policy: they put other states into particular categories and structure their engagement and relations partly as a result. There is one prominent modern international political theory – Rawls’ Law of Peoples – that seems to adopt this approach as an account of justified state behaviour. But should we expect this type of theory ultimately to prove attractive, justified and philosophically distinct compared to more instrumentalist rivals? This paper explores the challenges generic to any such account, not merely those relating to Rawls’ specific version, and surveys possible responses and their shortcomings.

Citation

Coakley, M., & Maffettone, P. (2017). Classifying states: instrumental rhetoric or a compelling normative theory?. Ethics and Global Politics, 10(1), 58-76. https://doi.org/10.1080/16544951.2017.1341793

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 8, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Jul 7, 2017
• Publication Date: Jul 7, 2017
• Deposit Date: Jun 13, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 14, 2017
• Journal: Ethics and Global Politics
• Print ISSN: 1654-4951
• Electronic ISSN: 1654-6369
• Publisher: Department of Government
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 10
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 58-76
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/16544951.2017.1341793