CPA Abstract

Here is the abstract for a paper I did for my Junior Independent Study. It was recently accepted for presentation of the Caribbean Philosophical Association Conference in August. The paper is entitled "No Socialism, No Choice, No Freedom: A Necessary Re­examination Of Sovereignty And Independence"

Abstract

Article 2(1) of the Charter of the United Nations (UN) states that the organization is based on sovereign equality of all its members. The varying interpretations of sovereignty and independence have made attempts to qualify the principle of sovereign equality almost impossible, and have led to conflicts between progressive developing world leaders and foreign interests. The classical understanding of sovereignty allowed for mass human rights violations and state confrontations. Thus, the Rawlsian view was developed with “people not states” as the prime consideration for political legitimacy.

By moving to the Rawlsian interpretation, states are not only endangering their independence, but also their right to self-determination. This problem is further exasperated as the world becomes increasingly integrated through globalization, and as international law and etiquette constrain states' ability to traverse their own paths. In order to highlight the shortcomings of traditional and contemporary Western thought I contrast classical and contemporary views on sovereignty with the work of pre- and post-colonial thinkers, including Michael Manley and Claude McKay of Jamaica, Walter Rodney of Guyana and Julius Nyerere of Tanzania. I expand upon their contributions to clarify the stakes in this increasingly globalized world, and provide the groundwork on which a more holistic understanding of sovereignty and independence can be developed.