Moralizing International Relations Called to Account

The end of the cold war politics and the fall of the Berlin wall have had major ethical consequences. In the 90s Ethics have become a rallying point for non-state actors and experts who gather around values and norms in order to oblige institutions to justify their behavior. This process is the result of different changes, the transformation of the international system, the individualization of Western societies and the growing importance of expertise in the justification of decisions in risk adverse societies. Along with the globalization of the economy and the formation of new political coalitions, global ethics are the pillar of our era of international 'turbulence'.

Ariel Colonomos is a CNRS senior research fellow at the Center d'Etudes et de Recherches Internationales and a lecturer at Sciences Po in Paris where he teaches international ethics. He has previously taught at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University.