Fred Dallmayr in Political Theory, vol. 31 (2003), 421-442.

Barely a decade after the end of the Cold War, a fury of violence has been unleashed, taking the form of terrorism, wars against terrorism, and genocide. These developments stand in stark contrast to more hopeful legacies of the 20th century: creation of the United Nations and adoption of international documents such as the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights." These legacies have encouraged a series of initiatives aimed at the formulation of ethics to guide the global community. The essay examines the promise and drawbacks of some of these initiatives. After reviewing proposals by Hans Kueng and Martha Nussbaum, the essay turns to criticisms. The conclusion argues that a viable global ethics code needs to be anchored in, or supplemented by, a global political praxis.

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