What is moral diplomacy?

Moral diplomacy, also known as "missionary diplomacy," was a foreign policy approach employed by President Woodrow Wilson during his administration from 1913 to 1921. The core principle of moral diplomacy was to support governments in other countries that were democratic, peaceful, and respected human rights.

Wilson believed that the United States had a responsibility to promote democracy and freedom around the world. He believed that by supporting governments that shared these values, the United States could create a more peaceful and stable world.

Moral diplomacy differed from the previous diplomatic approaches of the United States, such as dollar diplomacy and gunboat diplomacy, which focused more on economic and military intervention. Instead, moral diplomacy emphasized the importance of promoting moral principles in international relations.

One of the key tenets of moral diplomacy was the rejection of intervention in the internal affairs of other countries. Wilson believed that the United States should only intervene in other countries to promote democracy and human rights, not to advance its own economic or strategic interests.

While moral diplomacy had its critics and limitations, it did shape US foreign policy in the decades that followed, influencing policies towards countries such as Mexico, China, and Nicaragua. Overall, moral diplomacy represented a shift towards a more principled and idealistic approach to US foreign relations.