In what sense can foreign aid be understood as a moral practice? Is there any empirical substance to this claim? This article reconceptualises a type of foreign aid in which this claim is most plausible - grants by multilateral aid agencies - as a contemporary form of beneficence, a trans-historical phenomenon. Drawing on Aristotelian virtue ethics, it identifies such donations as a moral practice with deep roots in Western history. This analysis substantiates a view of the relations between states that goes beyond the simple notion of reciprocity emphasised by neoliberals. It concludes with the political implications of identifying donor states with moral distinction.
CITATION STYLE
Hattori, T. (2003, April). The moral politics of foreign aid. Review of International Studies. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0260210503002298
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.