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Theorising order in the shadow of war: the politics of international legal knowledge and the justification of force in modernity
[journal article]
Abstract The History of International Law lacks systematic studies on the link between legal scholars and practices of justifying war. This missing analytical link has for a long time given the impression that legal scholars describe 'state practice' in an 'objective', unpolitical way. Contradicting this imp... view more
The History of International Law lacks systematic studies on the link between legal scholars and practices of justifying war. This missing analytical link has for a long time given the impression that legal scholars describe 'state practice' in an 'objective', unpolitical way. Contradicting this impression, the article turns to the politics of legal scholars in the genesis of the modern war discourse. It reflects on the fateful entanglement of violence, law and politics, but nevertheless distinguishes between 'objective' and 'political' scholarship on the basis of Hans Kelsen's work. Furthermore, the article illustrates the politicisability of legal scholars in selected historical cases of the 'long 19th century' (1789-1918). In all cases, two hearts pounded in lawyers' chests: one scientific, the other political. As will be shown, the modern war discourse is shaped by a phenomenon that enables scholars to expand the intrinsic limits to the political instrumentalisation of law: 'multi-normativity'.... view less
Keywords
law of nations; history of science; war; law of war; normativity; Kelsen, H.; nineteenth century; international law; warfare; legitimation; national state; nationalism
Classification
Law
Peace and Conflict Research, International Conflicts, Security Policy
Free Keywords
Völkerrechtsgeschichte; Ius ad Bellum; Rechtfertigung von Kriegen; Politik und Recht; Multi-Normativität; politics and law; International Legal Scholarship; modern war discourse; multi-normativity
Document language
English
Publication Year
2020
Page/Pages
p. 218-245
Journal
Journal of the History of International Law / Revue d'histoire du droit international, 22 (2020) 2-3
Issue topic
Politics and the histories of international law
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1163/15718050-12340150
ISSN
1571-8050
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed