Governing the World Seminar

This seminar will examine the role of international law and legal institutions in addressing policy concerns that transcend the boundaries of individual states. It will take a historical and theoretical perspective, asking questions such as: What distinguishes law and legal institutions from other forms of international cooperation? In the absence of centralized enforcement, what role can the law play in addressing common concerns? In what circumstances, if any, can it be successful? How does international law relate to the broader international political environment? Topics will include the origins of European international law in the early modern era; the creation and functioning of collective security institutions in the twentieth century; the post-World War II rise of specialized international regimes in areas such as trade, human rights, and health; and global cooperation in areas that lack precise rules, such as macroeconomic policy. Theoretical perspectives will be drawn from jurisprudence, international relations theory, and political philosophy.