On Faith in the Moral Force of International Law. Martin Wight and Hugo De Groot: Four Seminal Thinkers in International Theory. Machiavelli, Grotius, Kant, and Mazzini, by Martin Wight (A Review Essay)

Journal of the History of International Law, Volume 12, 2010, 329-346.

18 Pages Posted: 10 Mar 2016

See all articles by Janne Elisabeth Nijman

Janne Elisabeth Nijman

The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID); Amsterdam Center for International Law - University of Amsterdam; T.M.C. Asser Instituut

Date Written: June 1, 2010

Abstract

The present essay arose out of my reading of Wight’s posthumously published lectures which aimed to see whether these would be suitable for teaching a course on the history and theory of international law. The essay then grew into a – modest – intervention in the current debate on Grotius and the Grotian tradition. Wight’s reading of Grotius yields a definition of the ‘Grotian heritage’; significantly different from Tuck’s interpretation, which has poignant relevance today in the light of unanswered questions on the relationship between morality and international law and on the responsibility of international lawyers.

Keywords: Grotius, Grotian tradition, The English School, International Law, International Relations

JEL Classification: K

Suggested Citation

Nijman, Janne Elisabeth, On Faith in the Moral Force of International Law. Martin Wight and Hugo De Groot: Four Seminal Thinkers in International Theory. Machiavelli, Grotius, Kant, and Mazzini, by Martin Wight (A Review Essay) (June 1, 2010). Journal of the History of International Law, Volume 12, 2010, 329-346., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2744965

Janne Elisabeth Nijman (Contact Author)

The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) ( email )

Chemin Eugène-Rigot 2
Geneva, 1202
Switzerland

Amsterdam Center for International Law - University of Amsterdam ( email )

Amsterdam
Netherlands

T.M.C. Asser Instituut ( email )

P.O. Box 30461
2500 GL The Hague, 2517JN
Netherlands

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