by Steven R. Ratner (Author)
In a world full of armed conflict and human misery,
global justice remains one of the most compelling missions of our time.
Understanding the promises and limitations of global justice demands a careful
appreciation of international law, the web of binding norms and institutions
that help govern the behaviour of states and other global actors.
This book provides a new interdisciplinary approach to
global justice, one that integrates the work and insights of international law
and contemporary ethics. It asks whether the core norms of international law
are just, appraising them according to a standard of global justice derived
from the fundamental values of peace and the protection of human rights.
Through a combination of a careful explanation of the
legal norms and philosophical argument, Ratner concludes that many
international law norms meet such a standard of justice, even as distinct areas
of injustice remain within the law and the verdict is still out on others.
Among the subjects covered in the book are the rules on the use of force,
self-determination, sovereign equality, the decision making procedures of key
international organizations, the territorial scope of human rights obligations
(including humanitarian intervention), and key areas of international economic
law.