Some ethical dilemmas regarding the limits of sovereignty – offshore zones and outsourcing military force

Abstract

This study gives a consistent and comparative analysis of two cases of deterritorialization of State sovereignty as one of the contradictory tendencies within the Post-Westfall world order. The first case concerns the so-called ‘tax heavens’, which are a hallmark of offshore sovereignty and are accompanied by several paradoxes relating to their marginality and significance for global economy. The second case is connected with outsourcing the use of force to private military companies, the so-called ‘modern mercenaries’, which makes it possible for us to identify four ethical dilemmas concerning the openness, the distinctness of activity boundaries and the answerability to the ‘shareholders’ and the international legal responsibility. Both cases are illustrated by short examples.