History, Politics, Law Thinking through the International

Historians of political thought and international lawyers have both expanded their interest in the formation of the present global order. History, Politics, Law is the first express encounter between the two disciplines, juxtaposing their perspectives on questions of method and substance. The essays throw light on their approaches to the role of politics and the political in the history of the world beyond the single polity. They discuss the contrast between practice and theory as well as the role of conceptual and contextual analyses in both fields. Specific themes raised for both disciplines include statehood, empires and the role of international institutions, as well as the roles of economics, innovation and gender. The result is a vibrant cross-section of contrasts and parallels between the methods and practices of the two disciplines, demonstrating the many ways in which both can learn from each other.

Brings together leading international lawyers and historians of political thought in sustained reflection on their inquiries and methods
Demonstrates how work in different disciplines, spanning a large chronological range, illuminates contrasting aspects of the same themes
Opens questions of method within, as well as between, the disciplines; brings political thought explicitly into what is often seen as a law–history encounter; and offers a larger terrain for interdisciplinary conversation in future.