Abstract
International law, we are taught, is the law made by states to govern their relations. Unsurprisingly, international law scholarship has traditionally embraced a corresponding methodological statism. Despite common perceptions, statism remains dominant: at most, elite non-state actors are studied alongside states. This article advocates a turn to "constructivist methodological individualism": a commitment to studying the making, interpretation, implementation, development and breaking of international law by ordinary, individual people, together with the reciprocal engagement of international law with them.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 219-265 |
Number of pages | 47 |
Journal | Harvard International Law Journal |
Volume | 60 |
Issue number | 2 |
State | Published - 1 Jun 2019 |
Keywords
- Interpretation & construction of international law
- Individualism
- Statutory interpretation
- Paris Agreement (2016)
- Trump, Donald, 1946-