Justice, Legitimacy and Democracy in International Political Theory

Abstract

This panel invites papers about the relationship between theories of justice and theories of legitimacy in international political theory, and on the role that democracy plays for either, or both, of them. There are various accounts of the relationship between justice and legitimacy currently on offer: one view regards legitimacy as an essentially sociological notion that bears no necessary connection to either justice, or democracy; another regards legitimacy as tied to (minimally) democratic forms of government and governance, while denying necessary connection to justice; on a third account legitimacy is tied to the fulfillment of minimal standards of justice, of which democracy may, or may not, be part; a fourth one sees theories of justice and legitimacy instead as different kinds of normative political theories, with legitimacy as a “realist” political value, justice as a moral value, and democracy playing different roles in each. On salient issues of international political theory – concerning the justification and reform of supranational and international institutions, structures and practices – these different approaches may hence deliver widely diverging verdicts. Moreover, as “realists” sometimes highlight legitimacy as an alternative to “idealist” notions of justice and democracy, investigating the relationship between them helps shed light on where the disagreements actually lie and steer away from a debate at cross purpose. Accordingly, the panel aims at discussing how different accounts of the connections between justice, legitimacy, and democracy play out on a range of exemplary issues. Papers explicitly focusing on the relationship between the different ideals are especially welcome; case studies on how different theories deal with particular issues in international political theory are as well. Possible issues to be addressed include: global trade and its institutions; international development aid; the justifications of violence (war, humanitarian intervention) on the international level; the justice and legitimacy of borders.

Title	Details
Legitimate or Just International Violence?	View Paper Details
Climate Change and the Interests of Future Generations: Closing the Gap Between Legitimate Politics and Climate Justice	View Paper Details
On the Legitimacy of the International Development Practice	View Paper Details
Justice, Democracy, Legitimacy: Clarifying the Connections	View Paper Details