International intervention in a secular age : re-enchanting humanity? / Audra Mitchell.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Introduction -- 2. Beyond belief : telling a new story about secularity in IR -- 3. A matter of life and death -- 4. Is nothing sacred? Disenchantment and dehumanization -- 5. Re-enchanting humanity? Disenchantment, re-enchantment and intervention -- 6. Angels of death : logics of killing and letting die in military intervention -- 7. Life after death: intervention, immortality strategies and rituals of re-enchantment -- 8. Conclusions-- and beginnings.

"International intervention is not just about 'saving' human lives: it is also an attempt to secure humanity's place in the universe. This book explores the Western secular beliefs that underpin contemporary practices of intervention--most importantly, beliefs about life, death and the dominance of humanity. These beliefs shape a wide range of practices: the idea that human beings should intervene when human lives are at stake; analyses of violence and harm; practices of intervention and peace-building; and logics of killing and letting die. Ironically, however, the Western secular desire to ensure the meaningfulness of human life at all costs contributes to processes of dehumanization, undercutting the basic goals of intervention. To explore this paradox, International Intervention in a Secular Age engages with examples from around the world, and draws on interdisciplinary sources: anthropologies of secularity and IR, posthumanist political philosophy, ontology and the sociology of death. It offers new insight into perennial problems, such as the reluctance of intervenors to incur fatalities, and international inaction in the face of escalating violence. It also exposes new dilemmas, such as the dehumanizing effects analyzing violence and of 'transformative' peace-building processes"-- Provided by publisher.

"This book explores the Western secular beliefs that underpin contemporary practices of intervention - most importantly, beliefs about life, death and the primacy of humanity"-- Provided by publisher.