The Wilsonian Conception of Democracy and Human Rights: A Retrospective and Prospective
Abstract
The principles of democracy and human rights have been persistent, if at times secondary,
themes within the rhetoric of American foreign policy toward Africa since the end of World
War II. The linking of such Wilsonian precepts with foreign policy practice, however, has been
an altogether different story. US policy makers consistently followed the dictates of realpolitik
in the era of the Cold War, leaving concerns for democracy and human rights aside. With the
collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, conditions are now in place for the
tangible and coherent pursuit of an American foreign policy based on democracy and human
rights. In the current era, the question emerges as to the resonance of such Wilsonian principles
in US foreign policy towards Africa. This essay examines the salience of Wilsonian precepts in
United States foreign policy towards Africa in the past and in the current era of Clinton's visit to
Africa.
In his foreign policy pronouncements vis-a-vis the European colonial powers President
Woodrow Wilson advocated for the pursuit of democracy and human rights conceptualized
within the context of self-determination for the colonized peoples. The idea of universal
morality was central for Wilson. In his view, the realization of individual freedom, limited
government, and legitimacy of power held the key to both international peace and the
emancipation of humanity from injustice1
. It was within this philosophical context that he
advocated for the need to make the world safe for democracy. This, he argued, would promote
America's long term interests 2
.
URI
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Citation
African Studies Quarterly | Volume 2, Issue 2 | 1998Publisher
Department of Goverment, University of Nairobi