The Concept of Justice in International Relations

The concepts of order and stability have enjoyed a higher priority than the idea of justice in the practice and the scholarship of international relations. This article attempts to demonstrate that such prioritisation is conceptually flawed, particularly during this era of globalisation. This article argues that international relations is relatively insensitive to the question of justice, both on the diplomatic plane and within the mainstream scholarly discourse on the subject. Historically, the guiding principles of international relations have been stability, predictability and order at the cost of justice. The article argues that this legacy is among its 'original sins'. It also explores, in the context of the ongoing process of globalisation, the abiding continuity of some of the recurrent 'sins' of international relations and the implications of this continuity for critical security. Suggestions for remedial action follow logically from this analysis.