ABSTRACT
The normative study of international relations has gone from being a marginal concern to a dynamic research agenda. 2 This agenda — often labelled ‘international political theory’ — focuses on ‘the moral dimension of international relations and the wider question of meanings and interpretation generated by the discipline’. 3 It not only addresses the traditional issue of warfare, but also examines the full range of moral duties owed by states and individuals to each other. The rise of international political theory can be associated with a broader revival in political theory, epitomized by the publication of John Rawls's A Theory of Justice. 4 This work defends principles of social justice for domestic institutions that regulate social activity. The book presents only a brief argument about international relations, with Rawls apparently rejecting the application of these principles to the international realm. Its publication did, however, inspire subsequent authors to explore this issue in greater depth, prompting an explosion of interest in arguments for and against applying principles of social justice to international relations. 5
