Two theories of international justice and the third world debt crisis

In this thesis I assess Susan George's proposed solution to the Third World debt crisis in the light of two contemporary and competing theories of justice which have international application. The two theories against which George's proposal is assessed are Onora O'Neill's Kantian-inspired theory of justice and R.M. Hare's preference utilitarianism. These theories are firstly located amongst various ethical traditions that have been applied to international relations and are selected as significant contenders in their relevance to an issue such as the Third World debt crisis. After outlining George's account of the importance and origins of the Third World debt crisis, I set out the details of her solution to that crisis. This proposed solution is then assessed in the light of the two theories of justice selected. In the final chapter I conclude that most aspects of George's proposal meet the requirements of justice according to both competing theories of justice. However, I argue that her insistence on démocratisation is problematic on both theories.