Can institutions, in the sense of formal organizations, be considered vulnerable to moral burdens? The contributors to this book critically examine the idea of the 'collective' or 'institutional' moral agent in, inter alia, the guise of states, transnational corporations, the UN and international society. The viability of treating these entities as bearers of moral responsibilities is explored in the context of some of the most critical and debated issues and events in international relations, including the genocide in Rwanda, development aid, the Kosovo campaign and global justice.

Many would argue that 'cosmopolitanism' provides the most convincing account of why we have duties to 'strangers' and 'enemies' in world politics: everyone--regardless of political borders, community boundaries, or enemy lines--is entitled to equal moral consideration. However, this 'impartialist' perspective is often seen to be deeply problematic: cosmopolitanism neglects the profound importance of local ties and loyalties, community and culture, and therefore is incapable of adequately describing our moral experience and wholly unworthy of our aspirations.
To answer these criticisms, Dr...

Nowhere are clashes between competing ethical perspectives more prevalent than in the realm of International Relations. Thus, understanding tragedy is directly relevant to understanding IR. This volume explores the various ways that tragedy can be used as a lens through which international relations might be brought into clearer focus.