Professor John Williams' Outputs (34)

Intelligence in international society: An English school perspective on the ‘five eyes’ (2024)
Journal Article
Schuett, R., & Williams, J. (2024). Intelligence in international society: An English school perspective on the ‘five eyes’. Global Policy, 15(2), 223-233. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.13362

Despite the recent prominence of intelligence in post‐Ukraine global policy, it is a Cinderella in international relations studies. Using English School (ES) theorisation, we locate intelligence within the constellation of primary and secondary insti... Read More about Intelligence in international society: An English school perspective on the ‘five eyes’.

The Normativity of Global Ordering Practices (2023)
Journal Article
Schmidt, D. R., & Williams, J. (2023). The Normativity of Global Ordering Practices. International Studies Quarterly, 67(2), Article sqad021. https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqad021

This article integrates normative theoretical analysis into accounts of international order by connecting the study of international practice to debates about the nature and moral purpose of states’ social association. Bringing together insights from... Read More about The Normativity of Global Ordering Practices.

Worlding War as a Primary Institution of International Society (2022)
Journal Article
Williams, J. (2023). Worlding War as a Primary Institution of International Society. Journal of International Political Theory, 19(1), 87-107. https://doi.org/10.1177/17550882221111195

Through interaction with decolonial IR this paper develops a research agenda extending recent English School (ES) work engaging a Global IR agenda. It argues recent developments in ES work that look to world history and which substantially improve ES... Read More about Worlding War as a Primary Institution of International Society.

Hierarchy, Drones and Global Order (2022)
Book Chapter
Williams, J. (2022). Hierarchy, Drones and Global Order. In P. Lushenko, S. Bose, & W. Maley (Eds.), Drones and Global Order: Implications of Remote Warfare for International Society. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003139676

Drones, Afghanistan and Beyond: Towards Analysis and Assessment in Context (2021)
Journal Article
Page, J., & Williams, J. (2022). Drones, Afghanistan and Beyond: Towards Analysis and Assessment in Context. European Journal of International Security, 7(3), 283-303. https://doi.org/10.1017/eis.2021.19

Afghanistan is one of the most drone-affected states, however, very few scholarly studies of drone use there exist. This article uses original fieldwork data in a strategically important area of Afghanistan, eastern Nangarhar province, to analyse dro... Read More about Drones, Afghanistan and Beyond: Towards Analysis and Assessment in Context.

Locating LAWS: Lethal Autonomous Weapons, Epistemic Space and 'Meaningful Human' Control (2021)
Journal Article
Williams, J. (2021). Locating LAWS: Lethal Autonomous Weapons, Epistemic Space and 'Meaningful Human' Control. Journal of Global Security Studies, 6(4), https://doi.org/10.1093/jogss/ogab015

This paper analyzes the excessive epistemic narrowing of debate about Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), and specifically the concept of meaningful human control, which has emerged as central to regulatory debates in both the scholarly literat... Read More about Locating LAWS: Lethal Autonomous Weapons, Epistemic Space and 'Meaningful Human' Control.

English School – 'Chinese IR' engagements : order, harmony and the limits of elitism in Global IR (2021)
Journal Article
Williams, J. (2021). English School – 'Chinese IR' engagements : order, harmony and the limits of elitism in Global IR. The Chinese Journal Of International Politics, 14(1), 127-157. https://doi.org/10.1093/cjip/poaa022

This article addresses ongoing discussions across the English School (ES) of International Relations (IR) theory and IR theory drawing on Chinese philosophical traditions and Chinese history as exemplifying a “Global IR” approach. However, common int... Read More about English School – 'Chinese IR' engagements : order, harmony and the limits of elitism in Global IR.

Ethics, Diversity and World Politics: Saving Pluralism From Itself? (2015)
Book
Williams, J. (2015). Ethics, Diversity and World Politics: Saving Pluralism From Itself?. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof%3Aoso/9780198733621.001.0001

Democracy and Regulating Autonomous Weapons: Biting the Bullet while Missing the Point? (2015)
Journal Article
Williams, J. (2015). Democracy and Regulating Autonomous Weapons: Biting the Bullet while Missing the Point?. Global Policy, 6(3), 179-189. https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12203

Public policy debate around regulating emerging autonomous weapons systems is vital, but in danger of neglecting crucial challenges. Current analysis focuses around efforts to define autonomy and to incorporate ‘autonomous’ systems within established... Read More about Democracy and Regulating Autonomous Weapons: Biting the Bullet while Missing the Point?.

Distant Intimacy: Space, drones, and just war (2015)
Journal Article
Williams, J. (2015). Distant Intimacy: Space, drones, and just war. Ethics & International Affairs, 29(1), 93-110. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0892679414000793

This article argues that the use of just war theory as the principal framework for ethical assessment of the use of drones for targeted killing is hampered by the absence of a spatial dimension. Drawing on critical political geography, the article de... Read More about Distant Intimacy: Space, drones, and just war.

Just War: authority, tradition, and practice (2013)
Book
Lang, A. F. J., O'Driscoll, C., & Williams, J. (Eds.). (2013). Just War: authority, tradition, and practice. Georgetown University Press

Not in My name: Legitimate authority and Liberal Just War Theory (2013)
Book Chapter
Williams, J. C. (2013). Not in My name: Legitimate authority and Liberal Just War Theory. In A. F. Lang, C. O'Driscoll, & J. C. Williams (Eds.), Just War: authority, tradition and practice (63-80). Georgetown University Press

Structure, norms and normative theory in a re-defined English school: accepting Buzan's challenge (2011)
Journal Article
Williams, J. (2011). Structure, norms and normative theory in a re-defined English school: accepting Buzan's challenge. Review of International Studies, 37(3), 1235-1253. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0260210510000768

This article looks at the significance of Barry Buzan's 2004 reformulation of the English School from the perspective of the normative dimension of English School theory. Picking up a challenge that Buzan set, but which has largely gone unanswered, f... Read More about Structure, norms and normative theory in a re-defined English school: accepting Buzan's challenge.

The International Society - World Society Distinction. (2010)
Book Chapter
Williams, J. (2010). The International Society - World Society Distinction. In R. A. Denemark (Ed.), The International Studies Encyclopedia (4562-4578). Wiley

Hedley Bull and Just War: Missed opportunities and lessons to be learned (2010)
Journal Article
Williams, J. (2010). Hedley Bull and Just War: Missed opportunities and lessons to be learned. European Journal of International Relations, 16(2), 179-196. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354066109344016

This article explores the reasons for the absence of a systematic engagement with the tradition of Just War in the political theory of Hedley Bull, despite his recognition of war as a key institution of international society and his engagement with n... Read More about Hedley Bull and Just War: Missed opportunities and lessons to be learned.

Risk Assessment, Policy-Making and the Limits of Knowledge: the precautionary principle and international relations.' (2009)
Journal Article
McLean, C., Patterson, A., & Williams, J. (2009). Risk Assessment, Policy-Making and the Limits of Knowledge: the precautionary principle and international relations.'. International Relations, 23(4), 548-566. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047117809348704

This paper looks at the way in which the idea of the Precautionary Principle, increasingly influential in environmental and other policy areas, is being and might be used in foreign and security policy. It aims to contrast the relative precision with... Read More about Risk Assessment, Policy-Making and the Limits of Knowledge: the precautionary principle and international relations.'.

Space, Scale and Just War: meeting the challenge of humanitarian intervention and transnational terrorism (2008)
Journal Article
Williams, J. (2008). Space, Scale and Just War: meeting the challenge of humanitarian intervention and transnational terrorism. Review of International Studies, 34(4), 581-600. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0260210508008188

This article contributes to current debates about Just War by analysing an insufficiently recognised problem with the way Just War theorists have responded to the two principal challenges surrounding the ethics of violence in international relations... Read More about Space, Scale and Just War: meeting the challenge of humanitarian intervention and transnational terrorism.

The Borders of A Just War (2007)
Preprint / Working Paper
Williams, J. The Borders of A Just War

This paper aims to contribute to the contemporary debate about Just War in a, hopefully, distinctive fashion. It seeks to map out (pun intended) a claim about the problematic nature of the way in which Just War theory has responded to the two main ch... Read More about The Borders of A Just War.

Westphalian Sovereignty: Rights, Intervention, Meaning and Context (2006)
Journal Article
Hayman, P., & Williams, J. (2006). Westphalian Sovereignty: Rights, Intervention, Meaning and Context. Global Society, 20(4), 521-542. https://doi.org/10.1080/13600820600929879

Over the last two centuries or so sovereignty has proved to be an enigmatic institution, at once constant and changing. Presently, it faces sustained and diffuse siege. Relatively few studies have approached this enigmatic institution from a semantic... Read More about Westphalian Sovereignty: Rights, Intervention, Meaning and Context.

'Order and Society' (2006)
Book Chapter
Williams, J. (2006). 'Order and Society'. In R. Little, & J. Williams (Eds.), The anarchical society in a globalized world (13-34). Palgrave Macmillan