Between sovereign judgment and the international rule of law: The protection of people from mass atrocities

Abstract

Chris Brown argues that force, coercion and violence are features of all political orders. The reason is that justifying, scandalizing and perpetuating the use of force go hand in hand. The chapter addresses the underlying mechanisms with regard to the ‘Responsibility to Protect’—R2P. Chris Brown argues that R2P is based on an anti-political theory and therefore is basically flawed. The chapter presents the counterargument that (instrumental) de-politicization is an essential part of any political process. De-politicization may help to provide the normative space for sovereign judgment within an international rule of law. Under this perspective, the chapter comes to a more positive assessment of R2P as a political concept.