Abstract
This entry discusses the role of international law (IL) in world politics, including the structure of the international legal order, its sources and who counts as its main subjects. It discusses IL's origins based on the foundational myth of Westphalia and the paradigm shift from natural law to modern international law, informed by legal positivism. It identifies the expansion of international law after the Second World War in terms of both a broadening and deepening of international legal norms, and a shift from order to justice. It discusses disciplinary developments and how different International Relations theories conceptualize the relationship between politics and law.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Elgar Encyclopedia of International Relations |
| Editors | Beate Jahn, Sebastian Schindler |
| Publisher | Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd. |
| Chapter | 86 |
| Pages | 194-195 |
| Number of pages | 2 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781035312283 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781035312276 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© The Editors and Contributors Severally 2025.
Keywords
- Human rights
- International law
- Legalization
- Norms
- Sovereignty
- United Nations