The Ethics of Calculation

Extract

Last May George F. Kennan in The Atlantic (“Foreign Policy and Christian Conscience”) had some advice for moralists concerned with nuclear weapons and international politics. Much of his advice is good. He warns against “pouring Christian enthusiasm into unsuitable vessels † designed to contain the earthly calculations of practical politicians.” His lucid statement on the limits of the United Nations and foreign economic aid can help provide the basis for morally responsible support of these widely misunderstood foreign policy instruments. His comments on the moral ambiguities in the colonialism issue are timely.