BULL,HEDLEY PLURALISM OF THE INTELLECT AND SOLIDARISM OF THE WILL

Hedley Bull is one of the most influential theorists of his generation . His attempt to build a theory of international politics which was ne ither the servant of realpolitik nor the child of Wilsonian idealism r emains the most convincing framework for understanding state practice. This article seeks to reassess Bull's contribution to the subject by addressing two important questions. In the first half of the article t he authors argue that Bull became increasingly aware that his theory o f international society offered only a partial escape from the ethical paucity of E. H. Carr's political realism. For this reason, in his la ter years Bull adumbrated a more solidarist theory of international so ciety. They argue that despite his attraction to solidarism, the reali st in Bull prevented him from embracing a convincing solidarist theory of world politics. The second half of the article examines the releva nce of Bull's categories of pluralism and solidarism for thinking abou t the ethics of statecraft in the post-Cold War world. By focusing on the response of the society of states to humanitarian crises, the auth ors consider how far solidarist sentiments have penetrated the conscio usness of state leaders, reflecting on Bull's cove contention that the re is an interdependence between order and justice in the society of s tates.