ABSTRACT
In the last few years, it has become widely accepted in the study of international politics that international life is determined primarily by actors’ ideas rather than brute material forces. Furthermore, the identities and interests of states are constructed by these ideas rather than given by nature. 1 In a similar vein, this chapter argues that beliefs about what is good or bad, just or unjust sometimes play a crucial role in international politics. These beliefs are commonly referred to as moral beliefs, 2 constituting behaviour such as the respect for human rights and international law, assistance for those who are in need of material aid, the respect for non-combatants in wars, and the like.
