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

“Sovereignty as Responsibility” or “Responsible Sovereignty” has emergedas a new issue in IR and sovereignty studies. On the one hand, its emergence stemsfrom the historical logic of sovereignty and its inherent legitimacy requirements; onthe other hand, it is also a theoretical choice for dealing with current global issuesand puzzles. In essence, “Sovereignty as Responsibility” is not a direct challenge orstraightforward deviation from traditional sovereignty theories. During its transferfrom Right to Responsibility, “Sovereignty as Responsibility” is actually a consequentproduct 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 processof 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, “Sovereigntyas Responsibility” has demonstrated several theoretical characteristics in terms ofstructure, logic, standard, as well as content and levels. However, it also confronts somedisputes in terms of theory and challenges in practice.