Law, Morality, and the Relations of States

This is an advanced BA course on the study of international institutions from a constructivist perspective. By now constructivism has been well established as meta-theoretical paradigm that is particularly good in explaining how institutions emerge, why they reproduce themselves, and how they change. Researching institutions is crucial since our present political landscape teaches us that institutions cannot be taken for granted. The Brexit or the rise of populism in established democracies are examples which challenge supra-national institutions such as the European Union as well as the institution of democracy itself. At same time, international institutions such as NATO which have been as some argue less important in recent years are now back on the agenda of intergovernmental negotiations. We will discuss key theoretical concepts such as legitimacy, knowledge, norms, discourse and practice teasing out how constructivist scholars research international institutions as well as how constructivists view the role of institutions in world politics. While we will focus on theoretical concepts students will also learn how these concepts are operationalized to study international institutions empirically. We engage with international institutions in the in the policy fields of global environmental governance, human rights, international economy as well as security politics. The aim of the seminar is to familiarize students with various strands of constructivist thinking in the discipline of International Relations. At the end of the course students should be able to formulate research questions and carry out research that adheres to a constructivist paradigm. Organization of sessions From May 4 til July 13 each session will be split in two: In the first part of the session we will engage with the main theoretical narrative. Student have to prepare a paragraph for each session in which s/he states a question or a problematization of the text. Please send this paragraph to me via email until Thursday 11am.

The Linacre Quarterly, 1997

Exploring Organized Interests in Post-Communist Policy-Making, 2021

International Relations is often perceived as power-based and void of ethical considerations. Yet, when social and political choices are made, it is difficult to disregard the influence of values and morality. This course thus aims to examine and analyze the role of ethics in the conduct of international affairs. It will seek to answer the questions: Is ethical action possible given the realities of national interests and power politics? And how, in normative or ethical terms can international acts and institutions be evaluated?

Chapter 6 of Moral Casuistry and the Ethics of Military Conflict (Dissertation as partial completion for the requirements of a Ph.D. in Ethics and Social Theory). The final chapter of this dissertation in which I make an argument for the establishment and use of a more formal form of moral casuistry amongst ethicists working on the question of war, in order to appeal to the crypto-casuistry of the actual practitioners (Presidents and their administrations) who make the moral choices regarding war.

Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte, 2003