Argument and Change in World Politics: Ethics, Decolonization, and Humanitarian Intervention (Cambridge Studies in International Relations, Series Number 81)

Arguments have consequences in world politics that are as real as the military forces of states or the balance of power among them. Neta Crawford proposes a theory of argument in world politics which focuses on the role of ethical arguments in fostering changes in long-standing practices. She examines five hundred years of history, analyzing the role of ethical arguments in colonialism, the abolition of slavery and forced labour, and decolonization. Pointing out that decolonization is the biggest change in world politics in the last five hundred years, the author examines ethical arguments from the sixteenth century justifying Spanish conquest of the Americas, and from the twentieth century over the fate of Southern Africa. The book also offers a prescriptive analysis of how ethical arguments could be deployed to deal with the problem of humanitarian intervention. Co-winner of the APSA Jervis-Schroeder Prize for the best book on international history and politics. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Dedication......Page 9 Contents......Page 11 Illustrations......Page 12 Tables......Page 13 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Introduction......Page 19 1 Argument, belief, and culture......Page 29 Argument as reasoning and persuasion......Page 32 Forms of argument: top-down, rule-based and sideways, associative......Page 34 Form of practical syllogism/Inference......Page 35 Meta-arguments: the real, the good, the frame......Page 37 Content of argument......Page 41 Emotion and argument......Page 44 Process and meaning......Page 45 Actors, persuasive context, and non-ideal speech......Page 46 Argument, belief, and legitimation......Page 51 Why do arguments succeed?......Page 53 Belief......Page 55 Philosophical, instrumental, normative, and identity beliefs......Page 57 Foundations of belief......Page 61 Belief system theories......Page 63 Beliefs and belief system theory revised......Page 67 Belief change and “learning”......Page 71 Mass and elite beliefs......Page 73 Culture......Page 75 Culture in international relations theory......Page 77 Character and location of culture......Page 82 Culture as “lifeworld” or stable foundation......Page 86 Culture as a source of specific beliefs......Page 89 Cultural framing......Page 90 Culture as obstacle to and source of innovation......Page 92 The source of culture......Page 94 Summary and caveats......Page 96 2 Ethical argument and argument analysis......Page 100 Behavioral norms and normative beliefs......Page 104 Types and variations of behavioral norms and normative beliefs......Page 107 Alternative theories of norms and normative belief......Page 110 Maintaining beliefs and practices......Page 116 Ethical arguments and normative change......Page 118 Deconstruction of dominant beliefs and practices......Page 119 Political and institutional change......Page 121 Resilience of behavioral norms and normative beliefs......Page 127 Increasing receptivity and persuasiveness......Page 130 Reason versus rationality......Page 135 A method of informal argument analysis......Page 137 Objections......Page 142 3 Colonial arguments......Page 149 Colonialism and decolonization defined......Page 153 Early Colonial arguments and beliefs......Page 156 The first of the great debates: “Are these Indians not men?”......Page 162 Las Casas versus Sepúlveda......Page 170 Summary......Page 174 4 Decolonizing bodies: ending slavery and denormalizing forced labor......Page 177 Economics of abolition......Page 180 Constructing and deconstructing slavery......Page 189 Abolitionist movement strategy......Page 194 Institutionalization: suppressing the slave trade......Page 202 The evolution of slavery as practiced in the United States......Page 205 Forced labor......Page 208 Forced labor arguments......Page 210 Reforming forced labor......Page 211 An ethical argument explanation for decolonizing bodies......Page 215 5 Faces of humanitarianism, rivers of blood......Page 219 Making rules of legitimate conquest......Page 223 The civilizing mission and colonial lobbies......Page 230 Conquest, resistance, revolt......Page 233 Indirect rule......Page 236 German South-West Africa......Page 239 Witboi and Leutwein’s arguments......Page 242 Rebellion and “rivers of blood”......Page 247 Role of argument......Page 251 Reform......Page 252 The United States and the Philippines......Page 254 The second face: reform and anti-colonial organizations......Page 257 Revulsion and reform in the Congo and South Africa......Page 260 Conclusion......Page 264 6 Sacred trust......Page 267 World War I and mounting pressures for colonial reform......Page 268 The League of Nations Mandate system......Page 278 The Permanent Mandates Commission......Page 283 South West Africa as a mandate......Page 291 Effects and effectiveness of the Mandate system......Page 300 Conclusion......Page 304 7 Self-determination......Page 309 World War II and colonial arguments: changing opportunity......Page 312 Pan-Africanism and anti-colonial solidarity......Page 319 Colonial culture and the decline of scientific racism......Page 324 UN trusteeship and institutionalization of anti-colonialism......Page 327 Anti-colonial movements and negotiated decolonization......Page 338 Changing power: declining public support in the core......Page 343 South West Africa and failed arguments......Page 347 Remaining colonies, free associations, and late decolonization......Page 358 8 Alternative explanations, counterfactuals, and causation......Page 361 Alternative explanations for post-World War II decolonization......Page 362 Liberation movements......Page 363 Economics of empire......Page 365 Exhaustion and overreach......Page 367 A reply to the alternative explanations......Page 368 Practical arguments......Page 376 Economics of occupation......Page 381 Was South Africa exhausted or over-extended?......Page 383 Escalation and stalemate......Page 393 Negotiating Namibian independence......Page 398 Ethical argument......Page 400 Counterfactuals......Page 403 How ethical arguments undermined colonialism......Page 405 9 Poiesis and praxis: toward ethical world politics......Page 417 Potential for ethical praxis......Page 421 The appeal of human rights and ethical arguments......Page 424 Discourse ethics: deciding how to decide......Page 428 Critique of pure discourse ethics......Page 431 Discourse ethics and world politics......Page 437 Hard cases......Page 441 Humanitarian intervention and discourse ethics......Page 443 A convention on humanitarian intervention......Page 449 Realizing ethical world politics......Page 452 Appendix. African decolonization......Page 454 Select bibliography......Page 458 Index......Page 475 Arguments Have Consequences In World Politics That Are As Real As The Military Forces Of States Or The Balance Of Power Among Them. Neta Crawford Reveals How Ethical Arguments, Not Power Politics Or Economics, Explain Decolonization, The Greatest Change In World Politics To Occur Over The Last Five Hundred Years. The Book Also Analyzes How Argument Might Be Used To To Remake Contemporary World Politics, Suggesting How Such Arguments Apply To The Issue Of Humanitarian Intervention -- 1. Argument, Belief, And Culture -- 2. Ethical Argument And Argument Analysis -- 3. Colonial Arguments -- 4. Decolonizing Bodies: Ending Slavery And Denormalizing Forced Labor -- 5. Faces Of Humanitarianism, Rivers Of Blood -- 6. Sacred Trust -- 7. Self-determination -- 8. Alternative Explanations, Counterfactuals, And Causation -- 9. Poiesis And Praxis: Toward Ethical World Politics. Neta C. Crawford. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 440-456) And Index. Arguments have consequences in world politics that are as real as the military forces of states or the balance of power among them. Neta Crawford reveals how ethical arguments, not power politics or economics, explain decolonization, the greatest change in world politics to occur over the last five hundred years. The book also analyzes how argument might be used to to remake contemporary world politics, suggesting how such arguments apply to the issue of humanitarian intervention -- Provided by Publisher Arguments have consequences in world politics that are as real as the military forces of states or the balance of power among them. Neta Crawford shows how ethical arguments, not power politics or economics, explain decolonization, the biggest change in world politics over the last five hundred years.