To Rethink Standards of Civilisation, Start with the End

• Published in: Millennium Vol. 42; no. 3; pp. 614 - 631
• Main Author: Bowden, Brett
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.06.2014
• Subjects: Civilization; Cosmopolitanism; International system; Legitimacy; Modernity; standards of civilisation; progress; cosmopolitanism; universal history; modernity

Many people recognise that there is a need to distinguish between states in the international system, such as on the basis of legitimacy. For much of the system’s history the means of drawing such distinctions have been standards of civilisation. For some, the need to divide and separate is unavoida...