Justifying Violence

Naomi Head has produced an original and compelling argument that brings practice back to the Critical Theory of Habermas, rebutting claims that it has little to say about contemporary moral and ethical debates. She pushes constructivism beyond the analysis of norms to an examination of how to better engage in communicative ethics and nudges debates about good international citizenship or the Responsibility to Protect toward the importance of procedural legitimacy in decisionsmaking about the use of force. Through an examination of NATO's 'legitimate' but 'illegal' intervention in Kosovo, she reveals the processes of exclusion from dialogue, the lack of policy coherence and the missed opportunities for a peaceful settlement. In response to the continuing sceptism about the role of language at the international level, she shows why legitimacy and justification matter. This excellent book should be required reading not only for scholars but policymakers confronted with life and death decisions about the use of force. Professor K.M. Fierke, School of International Relations, St. Andrews Naomi Head has produced an original and compelling argument that brings practice back to the Critical Theory of Habermas, rebutting claims that it has little to say about contemporary moral and ethical debates. She pushes constructivism beyond the analysis of norms to an examination of how to better engage in communicative ethics and nudges debates about good international citizenship and the Responsibility to Protect toward the importance of procedural legitimacy in decision-making about the use of force. Through an examination of NATO's 'legitimate' but 'illegal' intervention in Kosovo, she reveals the processes of exclusion from dialogue, the lack of policy coherence and the missed opportunities for a peaceful settlement. In response to the continuing scepticism about the role of language at the international level, she shows why legitimacy and justification matter. This excellent book should be required reading not only for scholars but policymakers confronted with life and death decisions about the use of force. K.M. Fierke in Professor in the School of International Relations, St. Andrews -- .