Issue 26.4
Winter 2012 (Issue 26.4)
TABLE OF CONTENTS This issue features an essay by Oran Young on stewardship of the Arctic; a special section on “Safeguarding Fairness in Climate Governance” with articles by Jonathan Pickering, Steve Vanderheiden, Seumas Miller, and David Schlosberg; and book reviews by Patrick Hayden, Henry S. Richardson, Henry Radice, and Ayse Kaya. ESSAY Arctic Stewardship: […]
The Right to Justification: Elements of a Constructivist Theory of Justice by Rainer Forst
In this book–a tour de force that exhibits both a compelling, unified vision and a wide range of concrete insights–Forst explains how his unified theory provides a universal and indubitable basis for “constructing” human rights, by which he means both justifying them and generating their content.
Dignity in Adversity: Human Rights in Troubled Times by Seyla Benhabib
In this book, Benhabib makes a compelling case for a “cosmopolitanism without illusions” that may help show the way through an uncertain world transformed and scarred by globalization.
Global Civics: Responsibilities and Rights in an Interdependent World Edited by Hakan Altinay
“Global Civics” is an attempt to ignite a dialogue about responsibilities and rights in an increasingly interdependent world, and should be of interest to anyone who finds the ethical dimension in globalization neglected.
Humanitarian Negotiations Revealed: The MSF Experience Edited by Claire Magone, Michaël Neuman, and Fabrice Weissman; and Humanitarian Reason: A Moral History of the Present by Didier Fassin
These two recent works make a complementary and refreshing contribution to the burgeoning field of humanitarian studies. Both books shed new light on the authority that humanitarians wield as mediators of suffering, the relationship between humanitarianism and politics, and the nature of “humanitarian space.”
Briefly Noted
This section contains a round-up of recent notable books in the field of international affairs.
Introductory Note
Recent developments in climate policy have done little to suggest that the world is acting quickly enough to avoid a dangerous rise in global temperatures. Yet, as it becomes increasingly clear that global emissions will need to peak within the next few years if we are to stem global warming, a dramatic change in short-term policies is also required.
Arctic Stewardship: Maintaining Regional Resilience in an Era of Global Change [Full Text]
What sorts of harms arising from changes in the Arctic are actionable, and who should take the actions required to respond to them?