A Libertarian Perspective on Peace Enforcement by the United Nations

Abstract

Most analysts view the United Nations as a positive stabilising force in international affairs. In this paper, I critically assess this opinion of the UN’s peace enforcement actions using the case studies of the Korean War and the Gulf War while relying on the non-aggression axiom of libertarian philosophy. In the process, I shed light on some of the moral considerations at play when deciding on UN-sanctioned military intervention.

Keywords

• international relations
• united nations
• peacekeeping
• enforcement
• libertarianism