Imperialism, Sovereignty and the Making of International Law / Antony Anghie

It includes Foreword, Acknowledgements, Table of Cases, Contents, bibliography, and index pages

Book description

This book argues that the colonial confrontation was central to the formation of international law and, in particular, its founding concept, sovereignty. Traditional histories of the discipline present colonialism and non-European peoples as peripheral concerns. By contrast, Anghie argues that international law has always been animated by the 'civilizing mission' - the project of governing non-European peoples, and that the economic exploitation and cultural subordination that resulted were constitutively significant for the discipline. In developing these arguments, the book examines different phases of the colonial encounter, ranging from the sixteenth century to the League of Nations period and the current 'war on terror'. Anghie provides a new approach to the history of international law, illuminating the enduring imperial character of the discipline and its continuing importance for peoples of the Third World. This book will be of interest to students of international law and relations, history, post-colonial studies and development studies.


Select 1 - Francisco de Vitoria and the colonial origins of international law

1 - Francisco de Vitoria and the colonial origins of international law
pp 13-31
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Select 2 - Finding the peripheries: colonialism in nineteenth-century international law

2 - Finding the peripheries: colonialism in nineteenth-century international law
pp 32-114
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Select 3 - Colonialism and the birth of international institutions: the Mandate System of the League of Nations

3 - Colonialism and the birth of international institutions: the Mandate System of the League of Nations
pp 115-195
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Select 4 - Sovereignty and the post-colonial state

4 - Sovereignty and the post-colonial state
pp 196-244
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Select 5 - Governance and globalization, civilization and commerce

5 - Governance and globalization, civilization and commerce
pp 245-272
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Select 6 - On making war on the terrorist: imperialism as self-defence

6 - On making war on the terrorist: imperialism as self-defence
pp 273-309
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