On The Sociology Of International Law And International Society

When studying international law there is often a risk of focusing entirely on the content of international rules (i.e. regimes), and ignoring why these regimes exist and to what extent the rules affect state behavior. Similarly, international relations studies can focus so much on theories based on the distribution of power among states that it overlooks the existence and relevance of the rules of international law. Both approaches hold their dangers. The overlooking of international relations risk assuming that states actually follow international law, and discounting the specific rules of international law makes it difficult for readers to understand the impact of the rules in more than a superficial manner. This book unifies international law and international relations by exploring how international law and its institutions may be relevant and influence the course of international relations in international trade, protection of the environment, human rights, international criminal justice and the use of force. As a study on the intersection of power and law, this book will be of great interest and use to scholars and students of international law, international relations, political science, international trade, and conflict resolution.

On The Sociology of International Law & International Socitey

The academic or scientific occupation with international relations is not always an encouraging task. At times one gets an image of the enormous psychic and physical forces which operate in the international realm, and it then seems that the role of the publicist is almost a negligible one. If one, in addition, arrives at the conclusion that human social action is not really a volitional process, then there is indeed ample room for pessimism and despair. Nevertheless, in the complexity of our consciousness, the different elements of which life is made of blend into a unity of which the idea is as much a part or even more so than the deed or action. The stress on action expresses the crudeness of our times but the idea has been much more the motivation of history and its cohesive force over long periods. Action in terms of force is never in itself the entire solution because it carries no conviction or understanding, at least unless its role is a very moderate one.

The academic or scientific occupation with international relations is not always an encouraging task. At times one gets an image of the enormous psychic and physical forces which operate in the international realm, and it then seems that the role of the publicist is almost a negligible one. If one, in addition, arrives at the conclusion that human social action is not really a volitional process, then there is indeed ample room for pessimism and despair. Nevertheless, in the complexity of our consciousness, the different elements of which life is made of blend into a unity of which the idea is as much a part or even more so than the deed or action. The stress on action expresses the crudeness of our times but the idea has been much more the motivation of history and its cohesive force over long periods. Action in terms of force is never in itself the entire solution because it carries no conviction or understanding, at least unless its role is a very moderate one.

Invitation to the Sociology of International Law aims to cast light on the under-explored sociological dimension of international law. The book emphasizes that international legal rules are profoundly embedded in diverse social factors and processes, such as norms, identity, and collective memory. Thus, international law often reflects and affects societal factors and processes in state societies and in the international community. The book exposes some central tenets of the sociological perspective and its core theoretical approaches, and presents a sociological analysis of several significant topics in present-day international law. The volume surveys subjects such as compliance, international economic law, legal fragmentation, law-making, and the impartiality of adjudicators, and reveals that a sociological analysis of international law enriches our understanding of social factors involved in the formation, evolution, and implementation of the law. Such analysis may not only explain past and present trends in international law but also bears significant implications for the interpretation of existing legal provisions, as well as suggesting better legal mechanisms for coping with contemporary challenges. In light of the underlying interrelationships between international law and other social factors, this book invites international law specialists to analyse international legal rules in their wider social context and to incorporate sociological tools into mainstream international law scholarship.

There has long been an advocacy for the sociology of international law, and yet it has never been constructed so systematically and axiomatically as in this book. Based on vital terms such as 'action' and 'system,' this book has conducted an investigation into the 'auspices' or the fundamental international sociological conditions over which international law is built, and accordingly, into how international law can control global relations. The significance of this work lies in its aim of showing by the application of a consistent logic, how complex observed phenomena can be explained and understood on the basis of certain shared fundamental perceptions drawn from common experience. By asking how a state acts in a complex system that consists of at least two subsystems having different goals and different logics, two specific issues are discussed: (1) The relationship between domestic and international law, namely, that between Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan and the UN Charter (especially the provisions for a collective security system as mentioned in chapter VII), (2) The relationship between international law and international politics, namely, the relationship between the prohibition of the use of nuclear weapons and the logic of nuclear deterrence.

There has long been an advocacy for the sociology of international law, and yet it has never been constructed so systematically and axiomatically as in this book. Based on vital terms such as 'action' and 'system, ' this book has conducted an investigation into the 'auspices' or the fundamental international sociological conditions over which international law is built, and accordingly, into how international law can control global relations. The significance of this work lies in its aim of showing by the application of a consistent logic, how complex observed phenomena can be explained and understood on the basis of certain shared fundamental perceptions drawn from common experience. By asking how a state acts in a complex system that consists of at least two subsystems having different goals and different logics, two specific issues are discussed: (1) The relationship between domestic and international law, namely, that between Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan and the UN Charter (especially the provisions for a collective security system as mentioned in chapter VII), (2) The relationship between international law and international politics, namely, the relationship between the prohibition of the use of nuclear weapons and the logic of nuclear deterrence.