Men and Citizens in the Theory of International Relations

by Andrew Linklater

Men and Citizens in the Theory of International Relations deals with the tension between the obligations of citizenship and the obligations of humanity in modern theories of the state and international relations.

Genres: International Relations, History, Nonfiction

232 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[KimNica · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars

This is mostly an account of previous philosophers and how they dealt with one particular moral dilemma inherent in the human experience: the tension between obligations to our fellow citizens vs. obligations to all members of the human species. Linklater does a good job at presenting the various arguments and drawing out their subtleties. However, the book falls a bit flat when Linklater tries to articulate his own vision of how those tensions could be overcome. The last two chapters are very anticlimactic.

Nonetheless, it is still one of the few works that aims to apply political theory to the international realm and it remains a classic of international relations. It is well worth a read, especially with the recent surge in literature tackling the ethical conundrum of a world state as one way to overcome moral particularism.