Humanitarian-based interventions and legitimacy discussed from the English School theoretical perspective on international relations
Humanitarian-based interventions and legitimacy discussed from the English School theoretical perspective on international relations

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses the legitimacy of military interventions where communicated motives are humanitarian, which is a controversial topic within international politics. The discussion focuses broadly on questions related to state sovereignty, the non-intervention principle, and both national and international responsibilities to protect populations, but also narrower, on insufficient information, mixed motives and selective responses. The chosen analytical tool is the English School theoretical perspective on international relations (IR), with concepts like international society, international order and international justice. This perspective offers a useful framework for informing a discussion about humanitarian-based interventions, since it incorporates both the hostile and the friendly aspects of the international sphere.

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