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It can be argued that the present world is characterized by a "clash of values". Yet, it is not so much a clash between liberal and non-liberal convictions. Rather, the problem lies within liberalism itself: different liberal values compete with one another and demand painful choices of one value over the other. What was established after World War II was a liberal order that emphasized a "Liberalism of Restraint" - a negative liberty based on the principles of sovereignty, autonomy, and non-intervention in a framework of international institutions that respect the legal equality of states.
With the end of the Cold War, any previous fetters on liberal dominance were removed. This was a new situation of unprecedented liberal strength. It was quickly used by several liberal countries, headed by the United States, to argue in favour of a "Liberalism of Imposition" - a positive liberty that stresses the right or even the obligation to intervene. Several humanitarian interventions and the war in Iraq followed under this premise, accompanied by new plans for the promotion of universal freedom.
This change in liberal thinking came partly as an acknowledgment of the weaknesses of a Liberalism of Restraint; the latter could do little about humanitarian problems in weak states, the abuses of basic human rights, and the menace of malevolent dictators. It was also pushed by new security threats from weak states and from international terrorism. Unfortu-nately, a Liberalism of Imposition is also flawed; it is extremely complicated to conduct de-mocratization and state-building from the outside; international stability is threatened because relations between the great powers may deteriorate. Furthermore, imposition may bring about paternalism instead of freedom. These liberal dilemmas define what is peculiar about the present world order.
Georg Sørensen is Professor of Political Science at the University of Aarhus, Denmark and Chairman of the Board of the Danish Institute for International Studies, Copenhagen. Currently, he is visiting the WZB as a guest of the President. His recent publications include: Introduction to International Relations. Theories and Approaches (with Robert Jackson), 3rd ed., Oxford University Press 2007; The Transformation of the State. Beyond the Myth of Retreat, Palgrave Macmillan 2004. Articles on the topic of the project have appeared in: International Relations (2006) and Cooperation and Conflict (2006).
Hinweise zur Teilnahme:
Please reply by February 16, 2007 to Karolina May-Chu: may-chu@wzb.eu; Fax: 030-25 49 15 43.
Termin:
20.02.2007 17:00 - 20:00
Veranstaltungsort:
Reichpietschufer 50, Room A 310
10785 Berlin
Berlin
Deutschland
Zielgruppe:
Journalisten, Wissenschaftler
E-Mail-Adresse:
Relevanz:
überregional
Sachgebiete:
Geschichte / Archäologie, Gesellschaft, Politik, Recht
Arten:
Eintrag:
02.02.2007
Absender:
Dr. Paul Stoop
Abteilung:
Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Veranstaltung ist kostenlos:
ja
Textsprache:
Englisch
URL dieser Veranstaltung: http://idw-online.de/de/event19410
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