Broken Chain of Being: James Brown Scott and the Origins of Modern International Law

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Part detective story, part intellectual history of the rise of international law, and part critique, this original, thoughtful work offers readers both a fresh perspective on important historical developments in international law and a new level of comprehension and guidance into its future. Understanding the development of international law and its connection to morality contributes to an assessment of the problems and prospects of international law today. Using James Brown Scott, the controversial American international lawyer, as a vehicle, the author engages in a probing examination of perspectives on the workings of the legal order centered on the concept of "plenitudinism"-a multi-layered expression of the idea of fullness in the international legal system. This challenging work provides revealing insights about the past, the failings, and the possibilities in international law, particularly in the field of enforcement of human rights.