Towards a New Ethics of International Security: On Socio-Political Mission and Normative Approaches in Securitization Theory

The end of the Cold War instilled confidence in a significant part of Western political and academic elites that the beginning of the 21st century would be marked by a radical transformation of the entire structure of world politics, including the entire international security agenda. These expectations were largelyembodied in the theory of securitization, which became one of the most dynamic research areas in the theory of international security. However, these expectations were not to be fulfilled: the number of international conflicts continued to grow, which, in turn, could not but call into question the basic tenets of securitization theory. This article focuses on the political ethics underlying securitization theory and the normative approaches to solving modern security problems advanced by its proponents. The author argues that the existing normative approaches in securitization theory can be divided into three research strands: deontological, universalist, and pragmatic, each with a number of distinctive features. Within the framework of deontological approach, developed in the works of the founders of securitization theory and their followers, desecuritization is considered the preferred moral-political strategy. The universalist approach seeks to create universal and generally accepted criteria for the normative evaluation of security practices. Finally, the pragmatic approach prioritizes practical knowledge about security’s value and ethics in its local manifestations and contexts. The author concludes that the formation of these approaches was intrinsically linked to the surrounding historical-political context. At the same time, all these approaches provide only a one-sided interpretation of securitization, marked by Westerncentrism, or, conversely, lack clear ethical guidelines. The author argues that although international security studies still hold potential, the very concept of security is limiting the possibilities for a development of a sustainable positive agenda in international relations. In this regard, turning to other concepts that could contribute to the formation of a more harmonious multipolar world seems useful.

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