PSIR 492

Course Code & Number

PSIR 492

Course Title

Ethics in International Relations

Level

BS

Credit Hours/ ECTS Credits

(3+0+0) 3 TEDU Credits, 6 ECTS Credits

Year of Study:

Senior

Semester:

Spring

Type of Course:

Elective

Mode of Delivery:

Face-to-face

Language of Instruction:

English

Pre-requisite / Co-requisite:

Catalog Description

Ethical issues prevalent in international politics. The sources of morality and the guidelines for ethical judgment. Specific issue areas such as sovereignty, just war, and human rights. Cultural relativism. Public and private morality.

Course Objectives

The major objective of this course is to explore the ethical issues in international relations. The course aims to provide students an overview of the key theoretical approaches to ethics and examine the issue through a range of cases in international relations.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon succesful completion of this course, a student will be able to
1. Understand the meaning of ethics and its role in international relations.
2. Identify the theoretical approaches regarding the role of ethics in international relations.
3. Critically asses the theories of international relations with reference to the question of ethics.
4. Analyze ethics in the context of a range of issues (war, humanitarian intervention, inequality…etc.) in international relations. 
5. Demonstrate understanding of the significance of ethics for global justice and equality.
6. Critically evaluate arguments and texts related to ethics in international relations.

Recommended Reading

1. Joel H. Rosenthal (ed.), Ethics and International Affairs: A Reader (Georgetown University Press, 1995). 2. Mervyn Frost, Ethics and International Relations: A Constructive Theory, (Cambridge University Press, 1996). 3. David Boucher, The Limits of Ethics in International Relations, (Oxford University Press, 2011).