Philosophy of International Law

Discover how philosophy is essential to the creation, development, application and study of international law.

New for This edition:
. Updated to cover recent developments in international law, including the 2008 world financial crisis and its effect on international economic and financial law, and the Obama administration’s approach to international law in the war on terror
. Each chapter includes suggestions for further reading, including the most current sources from 2016

Anthony Carty tracks the development of the foundations of the philosophies of international law, covering the natural, analytical, positivist, realist and postmodern legal traditions. You'll learn how these approaches were first conceived and how they shape the network of relationships between the signatories of international law.

Key features:
. Explores four areas: contemporary uncertainties; personality in international law; the existence of states and the use of force; and international economic/financial law
. The historical introduction gives you an overview of the development of the philosophy of international law, from late-scholastic natural law to the gradual dominance of legal positivism, and to the renewed importance of natural law theory in legal philosophy today
. Revises the agenda for international lawyers: from internal concerns with the discipline itself outwards to the challenges of international society