The Republican Legacy in International Thought

The first major treatment of the republican way of thinking about law, politics, and society in the context of international thought.

Nicholas Greenwood Onuf (Author)

9780521584449, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 8 January 1998

304 pages
23.6 x 15.7 x 2.4 cm, 0.6 kg

"Onuf lucidly sets forth the history, content, and current relevance of classical republicanism." Political Science Quarterly

Republicanism has enjoyed a revival of scholarly interest in several fields. In this book Nicholas Onuf provides the first major treatment of the republican way of thinking about law, politics, and society in the context of international thought. The author tells two stories about republicanism, starting with Aristotle and culminating in the eighteenth century, when international thought became a distinctive enterprise. These two stories surround the thought of Vattel and Kant, and by telling them side by side the author identifies a substantial but little-acknowledged legacy of republicanism in contemporary discussions of sovereignty, intervention, international society, peace, levels of analysis, and the global economy. In identifying this legacy in contemporary thought, Nicholas Onuf develops his constructivist approach to international theory.

1. Contemporary international thought
Part I. From Antiquity to Kant: The Republican Legacy: 2. Republicanism
3. City of sovereigns
4. Imagined republics
Part II. Vattelian Themes: The Legacy of Atlantic Republicanism: 5. Sovereignty
6. Intervention for common good
7. The constitution of international society
Part III. Kantian Themes: The Legacy of Continental Republicanism: 8. Levels
9. Peace in the liberal world
10. The system of needs.

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS]