Imperial Colonialism in the Genesis of International Law – Anomaly or Time of Transition?

23 Pages Posted: 7 Jun 2016 Last revised: 16 Jun 2019

See all articles by Prof. Dr. Paulina Starski

Prof. Dr. Paulina Starski

University of Graz; Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law

Jörn Kämmerer

Bucerius Law School

Date Written: June 3, 2016

Abstract

Drawing on the works of Alexandrowicz and Grewe this paper intends to shed some light on the role played by colonialism in the genesis of present international law. The central question is whether the international law of the imperial era (which culminated in the late 19th century) must be regarded an anomaly in the evolution of international relations, a temporary “accident” that was eventually overcome by the formation of an universal community of States half a decade later or whether colonialism, right on the contrary, has to be seen as a time of transition thanks to which an until thence regional order, referred to as the Ius Publicum Europaeum, and later as the Droit public de l’Europe, evolved to a universal one. Alexandrowicz’ and Grewe’s answers to these questions appear to be diametrically opposed. Even more important than to assert who of them proved to be right is to understand why these scholars arrived at such conflicting conclusions, which is the focus of this contribution.

Keywords: Colonialism, Post-Colonialism, International Law, History of International Law, Global History, Ius Publicum Europeum, Intercivilizational Perspective, Eurocentricism of International Law

Suggested Citation

Starski, Paulina and Kämmerer, Jörn, Imperial Colonialism in the Genesis of International Law – Anomaly or Time of Transition? (June 3, 2016). Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law & International Law (MPIL) Research Paper No. 2016-12 (Journal of the History of International Law 2017, xx-xx), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2789595 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2789595

Paulina Starski (Contact Author)

University of Graz ( email )

Universitaetsstrasse 15 / FE
A-8010 Graz, 8010
Austria

Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law ( email )

Im Neuenheimer Feld 535
69120 Heidelberg, 69120
Germany

HOME PAGE: http://www.mpil.de/en/pub/institute/personnel/academic-staff/pstarski.cfm

Jörn Kämmerer

Bucerius Law School ( email )

Jungiusstr. 6
Hamburg, 20355
Germany

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