The English School is criticized for not engaging in sustained philosophical argument for its approach to international ethics, its middle-ground ethics of IR. Can philosophical "legs", so to speak, be found for the "ethics as interest" position that is characteristic of this tradition of thought? How can the ethical approach of the English School be found compelling as a kind of normative IR theory, yet remain true to the moral skepticism that has been with the School since its founding with the British Committee? The English School is not unequipped or too ill-equipped to do so, but critical to this enterprise is finding a way of constructing and defending the ideal(s) against which international behaviors are to be evaluated. This paper will argue that a pragmatist, Deweyan ethics could be a good fitting toolkit for the task at hand and the paper will engage in a test of this toolkit adapted to English school priorities through an examination of new directions in nuclear weapons policy under the Obama administration.
