Ethics in IR: Morality vs Realpolitik

Should nations act based on Moral principles or purely based on National Interest (Power)?

Definition & Core Question	- Morality vs Realpolitik: evaluating whether nation-states should act based on moral principles or raw national interest and power
Realism (Machiavelli & Morgenthau)	- International system is anarchic; state survival, sovereignty, and strategic national interest are the supreme moral imperatives
Idealism & Universalism (Kant)	- Global peace through international law, multilateral governance institutions, and universal human rights values
India's Foreign Policy Synthesis	- Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (The World is One Family) & Panchsheel Principles of peaceful coexistence - Vaccine Maitri Exemplar: distributing essential COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable developing nations as global moral duty
High-Yield Ethics Data & Exemplars	- UN Charter Article 2 (sovereign equality & non-intervention) - Paris Climate Agreement Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) climate justice principle
Conclusion	- Success lies in moving from global anarchy to **"Ethics-Saturated and Cooperation-Verified International Relations"**