Emphasizing Principles for a Moral Foreign Policy

Bibliographic Data

ID5086793
AuthorsLisa A Baglione (0000-0001-9262-8214, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, corresponding author)
Year2008
Volume51
Issue9
Pages1303-1321
Publication date2008-05-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Behavioral Scientist (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-7642 • E-ISSN: 1552-3381
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0002764208316225
OpenAlexW1995283760
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited25

In Security First, Amitai Etzioni insightfully diagnoses the problems with existing American foreign policy and prescribes creating security and valuing life as corrective guiding principles. Peacebuilding scholars would welcome Etzioni's focus, arguing that an efficacious state and a sense of nation help achieve his goals. In addition, developing respect for the dignity of all citizens in war-torn societies is an important ingredient to moving forward. Etzioni's stress on developing a "moral culture," which emerges from the dominant indigenous religion, is more problematic, however. Frequently, major religions have threatened the security and life chances of religious and other minorities, as well as of women and girls. Since using religion as a cornerstone undermines the idea of Security First and the Primacy of Life, the U.S. would be better served and more ethical advocating the inclusion of liberal principles in states' founding documents, even if those promises cannot be immediately realized

Cornerstone · Criminology · Dignity · Environmental ethics · Foreign policy · Indigenous · Law and economics · Political science · Politics · Sociology · State (computer science) · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Law · Political Conflict and Governance · Religion and Society Interactions

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