Sovereignty: Moral and Historical Perspectives

(Georgetown University Press) There are two concepts of sovereignty: the current idea of territorial integrity, and the older understanding of a ruler’s responsibility for the common good. Johnson argues that these two ideas are in conflict. By exploring the earlier concept of sovereignty as moral responsibility and expanding it to the current idea of the responsibility to protect, he creates a basis for dialogue on politics and the use of military force in contemporary conflicts. Johnson is a professor of religion at Rutgers University.