Is it is justifiable to make any basic moral distinction between
'insiders and outsiders'? Do we have substantive duties of
'justice' to all human beings or merely Humanitarian duties of aid
and assistance? These are two of the most crucial questions
confronting world politics and the field of international ethics
today.

International Ethics: A Critical Introduction provides an
engaging and accessible introduction to these foundational
questions. In a cogent and carefully argued analysis, Richard
Shapcott critically examines the theories of cosmopolitanism,
communitarianism, realism and pluralism and scrutinises their
approaches to the various obligations which members of 'bounded'
communities, primarily nation-states, have to 'outsiders' and
'foreigners'. He then takes the theoretical approaches in context
by discussing the ethics of hospitality and membership of political
communities, issues of mutual aid and humanitarianism abroad, the
ethics of harm related to interstate international violence, and
the challenge of severe global poverty. The book concludes by
suggesting that the terms of international ethical life in the 21st
century require reframing in a way that focuses more intently on
the nature of harm between communities and individuals.

This book provides students and scholars with a conceptual
framework with which to analyse the policies, actions and
philosophy of governments, NGOs and international corporations.
Above all, it offers the means whereby individuals can assess their
own positions on contemporary ethical issues such as global
poverty, humanitarian intervention, migration and refugees and
global warming.