Ethics of humanitarian intervention from realist perspective of Hans Morgenthau. Analysis of U.S. military engagement in Libya in 2011

Abstract

Military intervention in Libya in 2011 led to regime’s overthrow, yet the rebels’ victory did not resulted in political transformation towards democracy. Post-war Libya was a fragile state, which eventually plunged into another civil war. The author analyses the ethical aspect of 2011 military intervention. The emphasis is put on the U.S. foreign policy in the eve of a potential genocide. Hans Morgenthau’s realism, which has both descriptive and normative aspect, is adopted as an analytical framework. The main purpose of diplomacy, the preservation of peace, is achievable, according to Morgenthau, only if foreign policy is devoided of „the crusading spirit”, defines its objective in terms of national interest, takes national interests of other states into account, and is willing to compromise. Referring to Morgenthau’s rules of diplomacy, it is argued that the U.S. decision to participate in the intervention was not prudent or ethical. The study shows also that the main assumptions of consequentialist ethics offered by Morgenthau are still a valid and interesting tool for analysing decision-making process preceding state’s involvement in a military intervention.