Between Equal Rights: A Marxist Theory of International Law (Historical Materialism Books (Haymarket Books))

“China MievilleвЂTMs brilliantly original book is an indispensable guide for anyone concerned with international law. It is the most comprehensive scholarly account available of the central theoretical debates about the foundations of international law. It offers a guide for the lay reader into the central texts in the field.”—Peter Gowan, Professor, International Relations, London Metropolitan University. Mieville critically examines existing theories of international law and offers a compelling alternative Marxist view. China Mieville, PhD, International Relations, London School of Economics, is an independent researcher and an award-winning novelist. His novel __Perdido Street Station__ won the Arthur C. Clarke Award. 1. 'International law has become important'......Page 13 2. Materialism and dialectics......Page 16 3. The structure of the book......Page 17 1. Beyond definition......Page 21 2.1. Disentangling denial......Page 28 2.1.1. The will of the sovereign: Austin......Page 30 2.1.2. The triumph of politics: Morgenthau......Page 31 2.1.3. A third way? Carl Schmitt......Page 37 2.2. Monism, dualism, positivism, naturalism......Page 44 2.3. The high point of formalism: Kelsen......Page 46 2.4. From rules to process: McDougal-Lasswell......Page 49 1. Beyond pragmatism......Page 57 2. Koskenniemi and the contradictions of liberalism......Page 60 3.1. The inadequacies of Soviet theory......Page 72 3.2. Radicalism with rules: B.S. Chimni......Page 76 1. The rise and fall of Pashukanis......Page 87 2. The General Theory of Law and Marxism......Page 89 2.1. Marxist method and the failure of alternative theories......Page 91 2.1.1. Law as ideology......Page 92 2.1.2. Law as iniquitous content......Page 94 2.2. From the commodity form to the legal form......Page 96 2.2.1. A note on history and logic......Page 108 2.3. The withering away of law......Page 109 3. Critiques and reconstructions......Page 113 4. The relevance for international legal scholarship......Page 125 1. The problem of politics......Page 129 2. Pashukanis and state-derivation theory......Page 134 3. (International) Law and the contingency of the state......Page 140 4. (International) Law, politics and violence......Page 145 4.1. Form, content, economics and politics in international law......Page 149 4.2. The unlikely marriage of Pashukanis and McDougal......Page 153 5. Problems......Page 155 6. The violence of the legal form......Page 162 1. The invisibility of history......Page 165 2. Origins and prehistory: an eternity of international law?......Page 168 2.1. Pre-colonial theory: the non-Western birth of international law?......Page 177 3. Colonialism and international law: the birth of a new order......Page 181 3.1. Amity lines: colonialism beyond law's boundaries......Page 191 4. The development of sovereignty: from politics to abstraction......Page 196 4.1. Absolute ownership and Roman law......Page 207 5.1. Early codes: the mercantile maritime roots of international law......Page 209 5.2. Lineages of the mercantilist state......Page 213 5.2.1. The Navigation Acts......Page 216 5.2.2. The East India Companies......Page 218 5.2.3. The freedom of the seas: a dissident interpretation......Page 220 5.3. Excursus: mercantilism and the transition to capitalism......Page 226 5.4. Categories and dialectics......Page 236 1. The nature of the relation......Page 237 1.1. Specificity versus breadth......Page 238 2. The crisis of mercantile colonialism......Page 242 2.1. The imperialism of recognition......Page 247 3. Ad-hoc legality in the nineteenth century......Page 252 3.1. Positivism and its sources......Page 253 3.2. 'Civilisation': a counterintuitive materialist analysis......Page 255 3.3. Into Africa......Page 260 4. The Berlin Conference and the 'scramble for Africa'......Page 262 4.1. Mandates, colonies and sovereignty: tendencies and countertendencies......Page 268 5. The empire of sovereignty......Page 272 5.1. The international law of freedom?......Page 280 6. New world order......Page 283 6.1. Excursus: the Gulf War......Page 284 6.2. The limits of legalistic opposition......Page 287 7. The universality of legalism......Page 293 7.1. Politics and the end of the rule......Page 294 7.2. Force and law......Page 298 8. Serving two masters: the imperialism of international law......Page 301 1. Ideas, ideology and contestation......Page 307 2. The rule of law's new advocates......Page 316 2.1. From war to policing?......Page 320 3. Against the rule of law......Page 326 4. The future of the theory......Page 330 Appendix: Pashukanis on International Law......Page 333 Bibliography......Page 349 Index......Page 377 Introduction 13 1. 'International law has become important' 13 2. Materialism and dialectics 16 3. The structure of the book 17 Chapter One: 'The Vanishing Point of Jurisprudence': International Law in Mainstream Theory 21 1. Beyond definition 21 2. Classic writers and debates 28 2.1. Disentangling denial 28 2.1.1. The will of the sovereign: Austin 30 2.1.2. The triumph of politics: Morgenthau 31 2.1.3. A third way? Carl Schmitt 37 2.2. Monism, dualism, positivism, naturalism 44 2.3. The high point of formalism: Kelsen 46 2.4. From rules to process: McDougal-Lasswell 49 Chapter Two: Dissident Theories: Critical Legal Studies and Historical Materialism 57 1. Beyond pragmatism 57 2. Koskenniemi and the contradictions of liberalism 60 3. Marxism and international law 72 3.1. The inadequacies of Soviet theory 72 3.2. Radicalism with rules: B.S. Chimni 76 Chapter Three: For Pashukanis: An Exposition and Defence of the Commodity-Form Theory of Law 87 1. The rise and fall of Pashukanis 87 2. The General Theory of Law and Marxism 89 2.1. Marxist method and the failure of alternative theories 91 2.1.1. Law as ideology 92 2.1.2. Law as iniquitous content 94 2.2. From the commodity form to the legal form 96 2.2.1. A note on history and logic 108 2.3. The withering away of law 109 3. Critiques and reconstructions 113 4. The relevance for international legal scholarship 125 Chapter Four: Coercion and the Legal Form: Politics, (International) Law and the State 129 1. The problem of politics 129 2. Pashukanis and state-derivation theory 134 3. (International) Law and the contingency of the state 140 4. (International) Law, politics and violence 145 4.1. Form, content, economics and politics in international law 149 4.2. The unlikely marriage of Pashukanis and McDougal 153 5. Problems 155 6. The violence of the legal form 162 Chapter Five: States, Markets and the Sea: Issues in the History of International Law 165 1. The invisibility of history 165 2. Origins and prehistory: an eternity of international law? 168 2.1. Pre-colonial theory: the non-Western birth of international law? 177 3. Colonialism and international law: the birth of a new order 181 3.1. Amity lines: colonialism beyond law's boundaries 191 4. The development of sovereignty: from politics to abstraction 196 4.1. Absolute ownership and Roman law 207 5. From maritime law to international law 209 5.1. Early codes: the mercantile maritime roots of international law 209 5.2. Lineages of the mercantilist state 213 5.2.1. The Navigation Acts 216 5.2.2. The East India Companies 218 5.2.3. The freedom of the seas: a dissident interpretation 220 5.3. Excursus: mercantilism and the transition to capitalism 226 5.4. Categories and dialectics 236 Chapter Six: Imperialism, Sovereignty and International Law 237 1. The nature of the relation 237 1.1. Specificity versus breadth 238 2. The crisis of mercantile colonialism 242 2.1. The imperialism of recognition 247 3. Ad-hoc legality in the nineteenth century 252 3.1. Positivism and its sources 253 3.2. 'Civilisation': a counterintuitive materialist analysis 255 3.3. Into Africa 260 4. The Berlin Conference and the 'scramble for Africa' 262 4.1. Mandates, colonies and sovereignty: tendencies and countertendencies 268 5. The empire of sovereignty 272 5.1. The international law of freedom? 280 6. New world order 283 6.1. Excursus: the Gulf War 284 6.2. The limits of legalistic opposition 287 7. The universality of legalism 293 7.1. Politics and the end of the rule 294 7.2. Force and law 298 8. Serving two masters: the imperialism of international law 301 Conclusion: Against the Rule of Law 307 1. Ideas, ideology and contestation 307 2. The rule of law's new advocates 316 2.1. From war to policing? 320 3. Against the rule of law 326 4. The future of the theory 330 Appendix: Pashukanis on International Law 333 Bibliography 349 Index 377 This Book Critically Examines Existing Theories Of International Law And Makes The Case For An Alternative Marxist Approach. China Mieville Draws On The Pioneering Jurisprudence Of Evgeny Pashukanis Linking Law To Commodity Exchange, And In Turn Uses International Law To Make Better Sense Of Pashukanis. Mieville Argues That Despite Its Advances, The Recent 'new Stream' Of Radical International Legal Scholarship, Like The Mainstream It Opposes, Falls To Make Sense Of The Legal Form Itself. Drawing On Marxist Theory And A Critical History Of International Law From The Sixteenth Century To The Present Day, Mieville Seeks To Address That Failure, And Argues That International Law Is Fundamentally Constituted By The Violence Of Imperialism.--book Jacket. 1. 'the Vanishing Point Of Jurisprudence': International Law In Mainstream Theory -- 2. Dissident Theories: Critical Legal Studies And Historical Materialism -- 3. For Pashukanis: An Exposition And Defence Of The Commodity-form Theory Of Law -- 4. Coercion And The Legal Form: Politics, (international) Law And The State -- 5. States, Markets And The Sea: Issues In The History Of International Law -- 6. Imperialism, Sovereignty And International Law -- Conclusion: Against The Rule Of Law -- Appendix: Pashukanis On International Law. By C. Miéville. Originally Presented As The Author's Thesis (doctoral)--dept. Of International Relations, London School Of Economics And Political Science. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [337]-363) And Index. This book critically examines existing theories of international law and makes the case for an alternative Marxist approach. China Miéville draws on the pioneering jurisprudence of Evgeny Pashukanis linking law to commodity exchange, and in turn uses international law to make better sense of Pashukanis. Miéville argues that despite its advances, the recent ‘New Stream'of radical international legal scholarship, like the mainstream it opposes, fails to make sense of the legal form itself. Drawing on Marxist theory and a critical history of international law from the sixteenth century to the present day, Miéville seeks to address that failure, and argues that international law is fundamentally constituted by the violence of imperialism. This book draws on Pashukanis, critical legal studies and the history of international regulation to critique existing theories of international law. It constructs an alternative Marxist approach, and argues that imperialism is intrinsic to international law