Meaning of raison d'etat | Babel Free

Definitions

A state interest, especially when invoked as politically superior to moral or even legal considerations.

Equivalents

Examples

“The law as created by the Supreme Court has been nay-saying in fact and in effect, stating in specific instances a series of "thou shalt nots." Not entirely, to be sure, as the cases illustrating raison d'état in American constitutional law tend⟳ to indicate⟳, but enough to make⟳ the generalization valid.”

“‘The western alliance is part of Germany's raison d'état,’ he declared. ‘We've got to take⟳ responsibility.[…]’”

“Nor did the end⟳ of the Cold War put⟳ an end⟳ to the bipartisan tendency toward placing raison d'etat above the standards of international law and morality that America officially aims to uphold⟳.”

“These epochal shifts contributed to lend⟳ specificity to the substantive rationality of the state — raison d'etat.”

CEFR level