Constitutional Patriotism, Moral Sentiment,and International Human Rights

This essay explores resources for motivating allegiance to international human rights, drawing in particular on the work of Jurgen Habermas and David Hume. It examines the ideal of constitutional patriotism as developed by Habermas and identifies limitations of that ideal in the international context. Hume's concept of moral sentiment is then examined, specifically its ability to generate an impartial but affectively engaged moral standpoint with the power to motivate action, potentially with a wider reach than that of constitutional patriotism. Finally, the paper shows how a contemporary Hume-inspired form of moral sentiment might interact with and support the deliberative practices through which international human rights are interpreted and applied in practice. It concludes with remarks on the reciprocal relationship between moral sentiment and constitutional patriotism in the realm of human rights.