The Perspective of the Rebel: A Gap in the Global Normative Architecture

Finlay, Christopher J.

doi:10.1017/s0892679417000089

The Perspective of the Rebel: A Gap in the Global Normative Architecture

Finlay, Christopher J.

Authors

Professor Christopher Finlay christopher.j.finlay@durham.ac.uk
Head of Department

Abstract

If people have a right to rebel against domestic tyranny, wrongful foreign occupation, or colonial rule, then the normative principles commonly invoked to deal with civil conflicts present a problem. While rebels in some cases might justifiably try to secure human rights by resort to violence, the three normative pillars dealing with armed force provide at best only a partial reflection of the ethics of armed revolt. This article argues that (first) the concept of “terrorism” and the ongoing attempt to define it in international law, (second) the laws of war and their application to armed conflict, and (third) the Responsibility to Protect all obscure as much as clarify the problem. Given the prevalence of political oppression and the occurrence of civil conflicts originating in attempts to confront it, there is therefore a pressing need to establish a place for the rights of rebellion in the international normative architecture.

Citation

Finlay, C. J. (2017). The Perspective of the Rebel: A Gap in the Global Normative Architecture. Ethics & International Affairs, 31(02), 213-234. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0892679417000089

Journal Article Type	Article
Acceptance Date	Mar 23, 2017
Online Publication Date	Jun 9, 2017
Publication Date	Jun 9, 2017
Deposit Date	Sep 26, 2017
Publicly Available Date	Dec 1, 2017
Journal	Ethics and International Affairs
Print ISSN	0892-6794
Electronic ISSN	1747-7093
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Peer Reviewed	Peer Reviewed
Volume	31
Issue	02
Pages	213-234
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1017/s0892679417000089
Related Public URLs	https://research.birmingham.ac.uk/portal/files/41021658/Finlay_The_Rebel_Perspective_for_PURE.pdf

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Copyright Statement
This article has been published in a revised form in Ethics & International Affairs https://doi.org/10.1017/S0892679417000089. This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs 2017.