Wolff on duties of esteem in the law of peoples

The role that the desire for self-worth plays in international relations has become a prominent topic in contemporary political theory. Contemporary accounts are based on the notion of national self-worth as a function of status; therefore, the desire for national self-worth is seen as a source of anxiety and conflict over status. By contrast, according to Christian Wolff, there exists a duty to take care that both one's own and other political communities deserve to be esteemed. In his view, this duty is grounded in the duty of self-perfection because the qualities for which communities deserve to be esteemed are those that promote the self-perfection of individuals. From this perspective, he argues that duties of esteem toward political communities should not be seen as an outcome of power relations but rather as an outcome of the fulfillment of functions of the law of peoples. Wolff's line of argument draws attention to the possibility that anger over a violation of the desire for honor could be mistaken for an expression of specific culture-specific sensitivities, while what really may be expressed is a diverging interpretation of the implications of dependence in international relations.