ABSTRACT
Most realists and neo-realists dismiss fairness or equity as a force to be reckoned with in explaining or predicting the course of events in world affairs. Whatever their feelings about the attractions of various principles of fairness or equity in normative terms, they see no need to resort to such considerations in accounting for what actually happens at the international level. Nor are they inclined to alter this general assessment in analysing the role of international regimes or, more broadly, institutions operating in international society. What is more, this view is shared in large measure by an array of analysts who do not regard themselves as realists or neo-realists. David Victor, for example, has recently written that ‘for most states most of the time, the decisionmaking process is mainly a selfish one. Consequently, there exists very little evidence that fairness exerts a strong influence on international policy decisions’ (Victor, 1996:3).
