People often claim that we cannot or should not judge states' actions in moral terms. Some argue that such standards are irrelevant or believe that any ethical standard would be unrealistic because the environment within which states operate is too uncertain to allow moral considerations. Yet discussing foreign policy in terms of duty, or justice, or right does not indicate that we are crazy. We judge foreign policies in terms of practicality and efficiency, but we also say that sanctions against Haiti are right or wrong, the Gulf War was just or unjust, foreign trade policies promote fair or unfair trade practices. We expect leaders to be honorable as well as cunning, to serve some public good even if its not one we ourselves would choose. This course examines ethical problems facing policy-makers and publics engaged in (or considering) war, war crimes, nuclear deterrence, preemptive strikes, trade, secession, intervention, immigration, economic sanctions, and imperialism by focusing on a series of case studies from the recent past. Requirements: three take-home exams each consisting of one or two essay questions. Prerequisite: Political Science 120 or 130 or another previous course in related field.
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