The Rise of Responsibility in World Politics

Studying moral responsibility in world politics sheds light on changing accountability relations, justice and legitimacy in global governance.

Hannes Hansen-Magnusson (Edited by), Antje Vetterlein (Edited by)

9781108490948, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 17 December 2020

280 pages, 4 tables
15 x 23 x 2 cm, 0.59 kg

'There has been burgeoning interest in recent years in the topic of responsibility in world politics. This book sets itself apart by looking at the 'rise of responsibility' as a political process: one grounded in contestation, negotiation, agency, and practice. Within these pages, a world-class group of contributors identifies patterns across three global policy fields. This process ultimately adds up to something greater than the sum of its parts. Overall, this is an excellent edited book.' David J Karp, Senior Lecturer in International Relations,University of Sussex

The concept of responsibility has emerged as central to the study of international politics. This book explores the integral role of responsibility within the context of global crises such as the responsibility to address climate change, manage financial crises, and intervene with political conflicts. Vetterlein and Hansen-Magnusson address responsibility as a conceptual tool in its own right, existing at the intersection of accountability and legitimacy and spanning across governance sectors of the environment, business, and security. This practice-based approach to the study of responsibility maps similarities and difference across policy fields and reveals the diverse moral actors responsible for negotiating responsibility. The emergence of responsibility further implicates underlying moral values and policy-making within the context of global politics. The Rise of Responsibility in World Politics addresses not only individual agency, but also how questions of community play a role in broader negotiations around the meaning of responsibility.

Part I: Introduction
1. The Rise of Responsibility in World Politics Antje Vetterlein and Hannes Hansen-Magnusson
Part II: Security
2. Twisting Sovereignty: Security and Human Rights in the 'Invention' and Promotion of the Responsibility to Protect Benjamin de Carvalho
3. Negotiating Responsibility in Conventional Weapons Disarmament Adam Bower
4. 'Coalitions of the Willing' and the Shared Responsibility to Protect Toni Erskine
Part III: Environment
5. Global Environmental Responsibility in International Society Robert Falkner
6. Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Justice: Broadening the Notion of Responsibility in International Law Virginie Barral
7. Responsibility and Climate Change: Reframing Norms, Practices, and Community Helga Haflidadottir and Anthony F Lang, Jr.
Part IV: Business
8. The Rise of Corporate Social Responsibility as a Global Norm Informing the Practices of Economic Actors Hevina S. Dashwood
9. An Expanding Conception of Social Responsibility? Of Global Norms and Changing Corporate Perceptions Kelly Kollmann and Alvise Favotto
10. Can Corporations be Held 'Responsible'? Grahame F. Thompson
Part V: Conclusion
11. Responsibility and Virtue Ethics: How to Tackle Ethical Dilemmas in World Politics? Hannes Hansen-Magnusson and Antje Vetterlein
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Public international law [LBB], International relations [JPS]