What you can learn from John Stuart Mill’s Essay on Non-Intervention?
Ethics of military intervention. The argument of Joan Stuart Mill and its relevance today.
A small essay called “A few words on non-intervention” was published in the conservative magazine “Fraser Journal” in 1859. This essay written by John Stuart Mill was destined to have a significant impact on the liberal approach to the philosophy of war. Moreover, the work has directly affected the development of the discussion on humanitarian intervention at the present time. The historical and political context for the appearance of this work was very striking: the revolutions of 1848-1849, the Crimean War, the final establishment of British rule in India and the beginning of works on the construction of the Suez Canal. Victorian Britain was at the height of its power, and European nations frowned at the successes of their island neighbor with disapproval. In these circumstances, Mill was one of the first to tackle the dilemma of intervention, reflecting the contradictory relationship between the need to always and everywhere defend the …show more content…
The appealing to this "complex problem" of world politics makes the essay of the British philosopher not only significant from the historical and philosophical point of view, but also extremely relevant in practice in the beginning of the XXI century. It is quite possible that not only the efforts of individual academics (Doyle and Walzer) have contributed to the recent popularity of Mill, but also the fundamental change of understanding of the key concepts of international relations: sovereignty, freedom, independence and the inviolability of national borders. Therefore, I identify three main lessons from the study of
Ethics of military intervention. The argument of Joan Stuart Mill and its relevance today.
A small essay called “A few words on non-intervention” was published in the conservative magazine “Fraser Journal” in 1859. This essay written by John Stuart Mill was destined to have a significant impact on the liberal approach to the philosophy of war. Moreover, the work has directly affected the development of the discussion on humanitarian intervention at the present time. The historical and political context for the appearance of this work was very striking: the revolutions of 1848-1849, the Crimean War, the final establishment of British rule in India and the beginning of works on the construction of the Suez Canal. Victorian Britain was at the height of its power, and European nations frowned at the successes of their island neighbor with disapproval. In these circumstances, Mill was one of the first to tackle the dilemma of intervention, reflecting the contradictory relationship between the need to always and everywhere defend the …show more content…
The appealing to this "complex problem" of world politics makes the essay of the British philosopher not only significant from the historical and philosophical point of view, but also extremely relevant in practice in the beginning of the XXI century. It is quite possible that not only the efforts of individual academics (Doyle and Walzer) have contributed to the recent popularity of Mill, but also the fundamental change of understanding of the key concepts of international relations: sovereignty, freedom, independence and the inviolability of national borders. Therefore, I identify three main lessons from the study of