Geschichte und Gegenwart des Völkerrechts: Perspektiven für eine Weltgesellschaft?

What is it about?

This contribution to a conference on the prospects of world society examines the role of international law in the historical process of the formation of world society since the nineteenth century. It argues that global activities at the planetary level cannot be understood without resort to the question of how norms above states can exist.

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Why is it important?

There has been a lasting deficit in attention by global historiographers in the genesis and maintenance of norms above states. This article suggests that the theoretical insistence, from the nineteenth century, on the predominance of positive international law has generated serious conflicts about the modalities of norm enforcement at the planetary level and that these conflicts should be addressed by global historiography.