Download This paper thus proposes that only moderate forms of

Choy Yu Fong
UWC2101A Colonialism and Cosmopolitanism
Dr. Leung Wing Sze
Paper 2 Final Draft
261013
The Problems with Intervention
In Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers, Appiah proposes
cosmopolitanism as an ideal response to the challenges of today’s world (xiii). One
of the strands of Appiah’s notion of cosmopolitanism is that humans have the
obligation to uphold moral duties towards each other (xv). Therefore, Appiah argues
that when someone violates a universal moral value, we are obliged to intervene. In
the context of Female Genital Cutting (FGC), there is a general consensus that it is a
cruel practice which violates the rights of many women. Following Appiah’s argument,
intervention should be carried out to curb the practice of FGC. However, in his essay
titled Anthropology, Liberalism and Female Genital Cutting, Sulkin highlights that the
premise of FGC being morally wrong is a controversial one. A zero-tolerance stance
on intervention in this case would perpetuate ‘inadvertent cruelties’ (Sulkin 19). In
doing so, Sulkin points out the inadequacies of Appiah’s argument as Appiah
neglects to mention the extent which intervention should be carried out when facing
‘grey areas’ of violation of moral values. Hence, this paper aims to extend Appiah’s
argument for intervention by suggesting that only moderate intervention should be
attempted in situations whereby violation of universal moral values is controversial.
Appiah’s basis for intervention stems from his opinion that universal moral
values allow us to criticize what actions constitute wrongdoing. He argues that
values are actions or concepts that we all have ‘good reason to do, feel or think in
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certain contexts’ (26). Using values, different communities communicate and
‘[evaluate] stories together’ to ‘align [their] responses to the world’ (Appiah 29).
Values which are determined to be fundamentally good through a global consensus
are what Appiah defines to be universal moral values (28). Actions that violate
universal moral values are therefore wrong, which leads to negative consequences if
they are not stopped, such as causing of harm to others. Appiah cites the example of
facing a Tormentor who thinks cruelty good and that in such a situation we should
‘Change the Tormentor’s mind. Keep out of his way. Keep him out of ours’ (27). In
this case, the Tormentor is pursuing actions which violate the value of non-cruelty.
Therefore, Intervention to stop the Tormentor is done to prevent his actions from
causing harm to others in order to bring about positive changes.
Similarly, the sources on FGC show that the practice violates certain universal
moral values, and is therefore wrong. FGC is the ‘ritualized incision or removal of
part of the external genitalia’ of women (Sulkin 17). It ranges from pricking the clitoris
to infibulation, which is the removal of the labia minora and external part of the
clitoris and sewing the labia minora together, leaving a small orifice for urination and
menstruation (Sulkin 17). Opponents against FGC argue that the process is painful,
torturous and forced upon women. From the video documentary titled Female
Genital Mutilation - UK, victims of FGC such as Jamelia and Miriam recount the
practice as traumatizing, and claim that they were either tricked or forced by their
parents to undergo the procedure. This is corroborated by evidence from the video
documentary titled A Ritual of Agony, which tells of women who develop sexual
blocks and phobias due to FGC. In addition, Women are getting serious health
problems due to FGC, including severe pains, problems with urination, excessive
bleeding, menstrual and childbirth problems (A Ritual of Agony). It can thus be
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inferred that FGC violates universal moral values such as non-cruelty to humans,
freedom of choice and the right to good health. According to Appiah, we would
expect intervention to curb the practices of FGC to only have positive impacts since
it is a form of wrongdoing.
The case on FGC however differs from the case of the Tormentor as it is not a
clear-cut violation of universal moral values. As Appiah mentions, cases such as the
Tormentor who sincerely think that it’s fine to be cruel to innocent human beings are
unusual (27). More commonly, universal moral values are either violated to uphold
other values, or there may be disagreements over whether certain actions constitute
a violation of universal moral values (Appiah 27). Sulkin shows that in the Kono tribe
for example, FGC is an important symbolic gesture for a woman’s transition to
adulthood by making them ‘informed, courageous, capable of dealing with pain,
mature and womanly’ (18). In other communities, FGC is done to protect a woman’s
chastity as insurance for a good marriage (A Ritual of Agony). Even though pain and
bleeding are a matter of course in the practice, many women believe that it is worth
going through it to uphold their cultural values. Appiah states that we cannot reach a
consensus on how to rank and order such values (xxv), providing no clear answer on
whether FGC can be justified in this context. Sulkin also argues that opposition
against FGC have taken for granted the fact that the practice is always traumatizing
and medically detrimental to women (18). An important body of clinical and
ethnographic research does not support this, suggesting that this may not hold true
for all forms of FGC (Sulkin 18). Sulkin also claims that most girls undergoing FGC
are well aware of the procedures they are going through, rebutting the claim that
FGC goes against freedom of choice (18). Such conflicting evidences make it
problematic in deciding whether FGC is morally wrong in Appiah’s terms.
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When faced with ‘grey areas’ of violation of universal moral values, Sulkin
argues that zero-tolerance intervention, such as declaring the practice of FGC illegal,
perpetuates its own cruelties. For example, in instances where FGC is practised
safely and non-forcefully, zero-toleration intervention would deny communities such
as the Kono tribe to live according to their culture (Sulkin 19). Sulkin goes further to
state other negative effects of zero-toleration intervention. Circumcised women may
for instance delay visits to medical personnel for fear of stigmatization or prosecution,
exacerbating their gynaelogical problems (Sulkin 19). By pointing out the fact that
zero-tolerance intervention has negative effects, Sulkin shows that it is necessary for
Appiah to explicitly state the extent of intervention one should attempt where the
violation of universal moral values is controversial, lest the intent of intervention to
bring about positive change backfires.
This paper thus proposes that only moderate forms of intervention should be
employed in such contexts. Intervention of this kind would focus on communication
and conversation to educate communities about the myths and health consequences
related to FGC, which are being doing by various human rights groups (A Ritual of
Agony). They can also be taught how to medicalize the practice which has been
known to present a major health risk (A Ritual of Agony). Communities are thus
given the choice to either discontinue the practice or to continue the practice in a
regulated manner. This allows a compromise to be reached, whereby people are
allowed to live as their culture dictates so long as they avoid violating universal moral
values as much as possible. Such a form of intervention echoes Appiah’s emphasis
on conversing with other communities to understand them better and to
accommodate differences between communities with our best efforts.
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Critics of moderate forms of intervention may be sceptical about its
effectiveness in preventing the violation of moral values. They may argue that
without legal enforcement, there is no guarantee that FGC will be practised in a safe
and harm-free way. It should however be pointed out that despite making FGC illegal,
people who believe strongly in FGC continue to engage in the practice either abroad
or behind closed doors (A Ritual of Agony). The fact is that there is no fool-proof
method of intervention that will ensure maximum obeisance to moral values. On the
other hand, moderate intervention attempts to reach a compromise, and will only fail
in the rare instance where irrational people ignore health and safety advices. In
consideration of these facts, it is clear that moderate intervention is more desirable
when the violation of moral values is not clear-cut.
To conclude, only moderate intervention should be attempted in the face of
violation of moral values where complicating factors exist to dull the line between
what actions are right or wrong. Zero-tolerance intervention attempted in these
contexts risks giving rise to a plethora of negative consequences. Conversely,
moderate intervention takes into account the fact that even actions that appear
morally wrong may have culturally significant motives behind them, and hence
attempts to reach a compromise in order to preserve these cultural values for their
people.
1420 words
Works Cited
Appiah, Kwame Anthony. Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers. New
York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2006. Print. xi-xxi, 13-31, 33-44.
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Sulkin, Carlos D. Londoño. “Anthropology, Liberalism and Female Genital Cutting.”
Anthropology Today 25 (2005): 17-19. Print.
Films, G. (Director). (2010). Female Genital Mutilation - UK [Motion Picture].
Saab, A. (Director). (2010). FGM - A ritual of agony [Motion Picture].
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