“Sovereignty as Responsibility”: Intellectual Sources, Evolving Paths, and Theoretical Debates

“Sovereignty as Responsibility” or “Responsible Sovereignty” has emerged as a new issue in IR and sovereignty studies. On the one hand, its emergence stems from the historical logic of sovereignty and its inherent legitimacy requirements; on the other hand, it is also a theoretical choice for dealing with current global issues and puzzles. In essence, “Sovereignty as Responsibility” is not a direct challenge or straightforward deviation from traditional sovereignty theories. During its transfer from Right to Responsibility, “Sovereignty as Responsibility” is actually a consequent product of sovereignty traditions (like Great-Power Responsibility). At the same time, it is also a developing term that enriches its meanings and contents in the process of concept building. Its connotation expands from the functions of “protection” and “prevention” to the function of “building” and even “care.” In general, studies of “Sovereignty as Responsibility” have gradually diverged into two different approaches; Libertarianism and Communitarianism. As a new-born framework, “Sovereignty as Responsibility” has demonstrated several theoretical characteristics in terms of structure, logic, standard, as well as content and levels. However, it also confronts some disputes in terms of theory and challenges in practice.