Toward an Islamic Ethics of International Relations A Research Agenda

Abstract

This study is an examination of the tole of ethical imperatives and
const&ts in the realm of international relations from the perspective of
classical and modern Islamic theory. The study focuses upon three interrelated
questions: (1) To what extent is an amoral conception of intemational
politics possible within an Islamic framework? (2) To what extent
is classical and/or modem Islamic theory compatible with the contemporary
intemational system based upon the sovereign, independent nationstate?
(3) What are the ramifications of Muslim accommodations with the
theory of the sovereign nation-state in the aEas of just war, nuclear deterrence,
and distributive justice?
The historical development of Islamic thought and contemporary
Muslim perspectives will be compared with the historical development of
Western theories and contemporary Western perspectives on the tole of
ethics in international relations. The purpose of this thesis is both to
evaluate critically classical and contemporary Islamic perspectives on
intemational relations and to develop systematically an Islamic ethical
framework for issues still largely neglected by modem Muslim theorists:
just war, the morality of nuclear detemce, and distributive justice.
Theoretical Argument
Is ethical theory applicable in the realm of international relations? If
so, what role does or should it play in the conduct of foreign policy?
The late international relations theorist Hedley Bull suggests h e
philosophical strands in Western conceptions of intemational relations.'
Each is to some extent both descriptive as well as prescriptive. Each provides
different answers to the questions above. (1) The Hobbesian or
"realist" paradigm views international relations as a state of natm dominated
by independent, self-reliant states struggling for power and prestige
in a milieu inimical to cooperation and devoid of international norms or
momlity. (2) The Grotian or "internationalist" tradition views intemational
Elations as the arena of sovereign states, but acting in a milieu characterized
by pervasive interdependence in economic, military, legal, and
political concerns. The possibility of ethical considerations is stronger in
this environment since a rudimentary international society of common
values, interests, and institutions does exist. (3) The Kantian or ...