Law and Sentiment in International Politics: Ethics, Emotions, and the Evolution of the Laws of War

International Law

Law and Sentiment in International Politics: Ethics, Emotions, and the Evolution of the Laws of War

By David Traven
Cambridge University Press July 2021

Specifications

ISBN-13
9781108845007
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Publication
July 2021
Format
Hardback
Jurisdiction
U.K. ? Countri(es) for reference only

Also available as

Paperback

Details

Drawing on recent research in moral psychology and neuroscience, this book argues that universal moral beliefs and emotions shaped the evolution of the laws of war, and in particular laws that protect civilians. It argues that civilian protection norms are not just a figment of the modern West, but that these norms were embryonic in earlier societies and civilizations, including Ancient China, early Islam, and medieval Europe. However, despite their ubiquity, this book argues that civilian protection rules are inherently fragile, and that their fragility lies not just in failures of compliance, but also in how moral emotions shaped the design of the law. The same beliefs and emotions that lead people to judge that it is wrong to intentionally target civilians can paradoxically constitute the basis for excusing states for incidental civilian casualties, or collateral damage. To make the laws of war work better for civilians, this book argues that we need to change how we think about the ethics of killing in war.

Table of Contents

Part I. A Theory of Moral Psychology and International Norms:
1. Introduction: the laws of war and the puzzle of norm emergence
2. Mapping the mind: moral psychology and international humanitarian law
Part II. The Universal Grammar of the Laws of War: China, Islam, and the West:
3. Taming the sovereign: state formation and the ethics of war in ancient China
4. War and peace in Islamic law: cultural evolution and the ethics of war in early Islam
5. Moral emotions and natural law: the peace of god, catholic just war theory, and the European enlightenment
Part III. Moral Sentiments and the Development of International Humanitarian Law:
6. Humanizing hell: the Hague peace conferences and the second world war, 1899-1945
7. A moral revolution in the history of humankind: the Geneva conventions and the politics of international humanitarian law, 1945-1977
8. Conclusion: moral emotions, permissive effects, and the rationalization of IHL
HKD 1,034.02 −3%
HKD 1,066.00

Inclusive of HK delivery

Ready to ship
Delivery Time: around 4-5 weeks
Extra 10 working days if shipping address outside Hong Kong
  • Free HK shipping over HK$1,000
  • International shipping to 35+ countries
Order Form
Save

Recommended

You may also be interested in these books:

More titles from International Law

View all
Individuals in International Humanitarian Law: A Historical Analysis
Hart Publishing

Individuals in International Humanitarian Law: A Historical Analysis

Sarina Landefeld
HKD 1,134.90
The 'War on Terror' and the Framework of International Law 2nd Edition
Cambridge University Press

The 'War on Terror' and the Framework of International Law 2nd Edition

Helen Duffy
HKD 1,752.79
Teaching International Law
Edward Elgar Publishing

Teaching International Law

Paul F. Diehl; Charlotte Ku
HKD 365.06
The Limitations of the Law of Armed Conflicts: New Means and Methods of Warfare: Essays in Memory of Rosario Dominguez Mates
Brill Nijhoff

The Limitations of the Law of Armed Conflicts: New Means and Methods of Warfare: Essays in Memory of Rosario Dominguez Mates

Pablo Antonio Fernandez-Sanchez
HKD 1,928.50
The Institutional Veil in Public International Law
Hart Publishing

The Institutional Veil in Public International Law

Catherine Brölmann
HKD 1,134.90
Sex in Peace Operations
Cambridge University Press

Sex in Peace Operations

Gabrielle Simm
HKD 819.65