Explaining the Wrong of Sovereignty Violations

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter discusses the wrong involved in violating the sovereignty of political collectives, even when such sovereignty violations do not appear to set back any individual’s interests. After raising doubts about views which deny that any wrongs occur in such cases, and views which explain such wrongs by appeal to nationality, political membership, and autonomy, the chapter turns to the agency-respect view. According to this view, seemingly harmless sovereignty violations are wrongful since they involve violating morally permissible internal and external sovereignty norms. In particular, such violations are agency-disrespectful towards those individuals who authentically support said norms, namely (i) members of the political collective whose sovereignty is violated as well as (ii) members of the international community as a whole, who support the norm of states’ sovereign equality. The chapter concludes by considering objections and further implications of the agency-respect view.