Overview

The first months of the Obama administration have led to expectations, both in the United States and abroad, that in the coming years America will increasingly promote the international rule of law—a position that many believe is both ethically necessary and in the nation’s best interests. With The Perils of Global Legalism, Eric A. Posner explains that such views demonstrate a dangerously naive tendency toward legalism—an idealistic belief that law can be effective even in the absence of legitimate institutions of governance. After tracing the historical roots of the concept, Posner carefully lays out the many illusions—such as universalism, sovereign equality, and the possibility of disinterested judgment by politically unaccountable officials—on which the legalistic view is founded. Drawing on such examples as NATO’s invasion of Serbia, attempts to ban the use of land mines, and the free-trade provisions of the WTO, Posner demonstrates throughout that the weaknesses of international law confound legalist ambitions—and that whatever their professed commitments, all nations stand ready to dispense with international agreements when it suits their short- or long-term interests. Provocative and sure to be controversial, The Perils of Global Legalism will serve as a wake-up call for those who view global legalism as a panacea—and a reminder that international relations in a brutal world allow no room for illusions.

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Reviews

This trenchant and rigorous book provides a much-needed antidote to the sanctimony and sermonizing that permeates international law. It lays bare international law's circularity and demonstrates that much of the edifice is built on illusion. The establishment' will be forced into contortions to answer its arguments. It's a bracing, refreshingly and altogether scintillating read. -Michael J. Glennon, author of Limits of Law, Prerogatives of Power -- Michael J. Glennon, author of Limits of Law, Prerogatives of Power

Posner has provided an intellectual history of a concept, 'legalism,' as well as what could be considered the sociology of a profession. (Journal of International Law and Politics) A spirited attack on 'excessive faith in the efficiency of international law.' (Foreign Affairs)

Author Information

Eric A. Posner is the Kirkland and Ellis Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School. He is the author or coauthor of several books, including Terror in the Balance: Security, Liberty, and the Courts and The Limits of International Law.

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