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.