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7 - Law, Anarchy, and Rule

The Authority of the International Rule of Law

from Part II - Practicing Rule

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 June 2023

By
Ian Hurd
Edited by
Christopher Daase ,
Nicole Deitelhoff  and
Antonia Witt
Christopher Daase
Affiliation:
Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and Goethe University Frankfurt
Nicole Deitelhoff
Affiliation:
Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and Goethe University Frankfurt
Antonia Witt
Affiliation:
Peace Research Institute Frankfurt
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Summary

The ideology of the rule of law posits a hierarchical relationship with law and rules in a position of authority over the subjects. In international affairs, this is represented by the popular view that international order follows once governments accept the authority of international law and institutions. The idea that states are subordinate to international law is central to the international rule of law, but it directly contradicts the equally popular image of international affairs as a domain of anarchy. Anarchy presumes that governments are not subordinate to any source of authority while the rule of law says that they are. The fact that two apparently fundamental assumptions of international theory are incompatible with each other suggests an urgent need to look closely at both. This chapter examines the ideology of the international rule of law and compares it with domestic notions of the rule of law and with the idea of international anarchy. Once the rule of law is understood as a language of political justification, we can begin to make sense of its position as a source of authority that is superordinate to governments.

Keywords

Lawauthorityanarchyinternational orderglobal governancehierarchyinternational theoryrule of law
Type
Chapter
Information
Rule in International Politics , pp. 163 - 186
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Law, Anarchy, and Rule
  • Edited by Christopher Daase, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and Goethe University Frankfurt, Nicole Deitelhoff, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and Goethe University Frankfurt, Antonia Witt, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt
  • Book: Rule in International Politics
  • Online publication: 15 June 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009307703.010
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  • Law, Anarchy, and Rule
  • Edited by Christopher Daase, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and Goethe University Frankfurt, Nicole Deitelhoff, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and Goethe University Frankfurt, Antonia Witt, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt
  • Book: Rule in International Politics
  • Online publication: 15 June 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009307703.010
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  • Law, Anarchy, and Rule
  • Edited by Christopher Daase, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and Goethe University Frankfurt, Nicole Deitelhoff, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and Goethe University Frankfurt, Antonia Witt, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt
  • Book: Rule in International Politics
  • Online publication: 15 June 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009307703.010
Available formats
×