International Intervention in a Secular Age

Re-Enchanting Humanity?
1. Auflage 2017
ISBN: 978-1-138-89662-8
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 216 Seiten, Format (B × H): 232 mm x 155 mm, Gewicht: 338 g

Reihe: Interventions

International intervention is not just about ‘saving’ human lives: it is also an attempt to secure humanity’s place in the universe.

This book explores the Western secular beliefs that underpin contemporary practices of intervention—most importantly, beliefs about life, death and the dominance of humanity. These beliefs shape a wide range of practices: the idea that human beings should intervene when human lives are at stake; analyses of violence and harm; practices of intervention and peace-building; and logics of killing and letting die. Ironically, however, the Western secular desire to ensure the meaningfulness of human life at all costs contributes to processes of dehumanization, undercutting the basic goals of intervention. To explore this paradox, International Intervention in a Secular Age engages with examples from around the world, and draws on interdisciplinary sources: anthropologies of secularity and IR, posthumanist political philosophy, ontology and the sociology of death.

This book offers new insight into perennial problems, such as the reluctance of intervenors to incur fatalities, and international inaction in the face of escalating violence. It also exposes new dilemmas, such as the dehumanizing effects of quantifying casualties, Western secular logics of killing, and the appropriation of lives and deaths through peace-building processes. It will be of great interest to students and scholars of international relations, political philosophy, international ethics and social anthropology.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mitchell, Audra (University of York, UK)

Mitchell, Audra

Fachgebiete

• Geowissenschaften Geographie | Raumplanung Regional- & Raumplanung Stadtplanung, Kommunale Planung
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Geschichte
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein Politische Theorie, Politische Philosophie
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Regierungspolitik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1: Introduction, Chapter 2: Beyond Belief – Telling a New Story About Secularity in IR, Chapter 3: A Matter of Life and Death, Chapter 4: Is Nothing Sacred? Disenchantment and Dehumanization, Chapter 5: Re-enchanting Humanity? Disenchantment, Re-enchantment and Intervention, Chapter 6: Angels of Death: Logics of Killing and Letting Die in Military Intervention, Chapter 7: Life After Death: Intervention, Immortality and Rituals of Re-enchantment, Chapter 8: Conclusions

Über Autor(innen)

Audra Mitchell is a lecturer in the Politics department at the University of York, UK