Universal Exceptionalism in International Law

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Bradford, Anu; Posner, Eric A.
• 署名单位: University of Chicago
• 刊物名称: HARVARD INTERNATIONAL LAW JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0017-8063
• 发表日期: 2011
• 页码: 1-54
• 关键词: TREATIES; GROWTH; RIGHTS; COURT; ORDER; WAR

摘要

A trope of international law scholarship is that the United States is an exceptionalist nation, one that takes a distinctive (frequently hostile, unilateralist, or hypocritical) stance toward international law. However, all major powers are similarly exceptionalist, in the sense that they take distinctive approaches to international law that reflect their values and interests. We illustrate these arguments with discussions of China, the European Union, and the United States. Charges of international-law exceptionalism betray an undefended assumption that one particular view of international law (for scholars, usually the European view) is universally valid.