The Idea of International Society

This Book Offers The First Comprehensive Account And Re-Appraisal Of The Formative Phase Of What Is Often Termed The ''Grotian Tradition'' In International Relations Theory: The View That Sovereign States Are Not Free To Act At Will But Are Akin To Members Of A Society Bound By Its Norms. It Examines The Period From The Later Fifteenth To The Mid-Seventeenth Centuries Focusing On Four Thinkers: Erasmus Vitoria Gentili And Grotius Himself And Is Structured By The Author''S Concept Of International Society. Erasmus'' Views On International Relations Have Been Entirely Neglected But Underlying His Work Is A Consistent Image Of International Society. The Theologian Francisco De Vitoria Concerns Himself With Its Normative Principles The Lawyer Alberico Gentili - Unexpectedly The Central Figure In The Narrative - With Its Extensive Practical Applications. Grotius However Does Not Re-Affirm The Concept But Wavers At Crucial Points. This Book Suggests That The Grotian Tradition Is A Misnomer.