Premium
Machiavelli at 500: From Cynic to Vigilant Supporter of International Law
Author(s) -
Follesdal Andreas
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
ratio juris
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.344
H-Index - 10
eISSN - 1467-9337
pISSN - 0952-1917
DOI - 10.1111/raju.12079
Subject(s) - skepticism , supporter , law , focus (optics) , international law , international relations , political science , sociology , philosophy , epistemology , history , politics , physics , optics , archaeology
Machiavelli's 500‐year‐old treatise The Prince outlined the central features of the realist tradition in international relations. His premises led him to question the likelihood of efficacious and stable international law and international courts, a skepticism that has present‐day proponents. M achiavelli's reluctance was due to a combination of features of human nature and a focus on anarchic features of the relations among states . This article challenges these assumptions and implications: Other interpretations of human nature are closer to M achiavelli's text, and current relations among states are significantly different. The revised assumptions should make M achiavelli's followers more optimistic about international law and international courts.