ECIPE Seminar: Values in Foreign Policy – the Balance between Interests and Ideals

Should our conduct in international affairs be motivated by values – or by our material interests?

Scholars have for centuries been debating the moral foundations of foreign policy and how they link up with actual practice. For some time, and with some notable exceptions, foreign policy in the West has been anchored in the idea to project its values on other parts of the world. Now, with the rise to power of countries with different value hierarchies, this project has become far more complex and often conflicts with national priorities. What will be the result – a clash of values or a return to an interest-driven foreign policy?

Please join us for the launch of the new book Values in Foreign Policy – Investigating Ideals and Interests. The book walks through major discussions of international affairs in leading countries of the world, and puts the spotlight on the increasing tensions between interests and ideals in foreign policy.