Canal-U

Miloš Vec - How to Write a History of Western International Law?

My presentation focuses on some historiographical challenges which I face as the co-editor of the CUP volume on “Western International Law, 1776 – c.1870” (edited together with Prof. Paulina Starski). Evidently, the volume’s title “Western International Law, 1776 – ca. 1870” is demanding. It expects to treat the subject as a regional, in parts local, but very influential variation of a plurality of global normative systems. However, what exactly is “Western” about it and which methods and approaches are suited best to offer convincing explanations? Writing about “Western” international law always evokes the question of the others, but what about the plurality within the “West”? The aim of this talk is to explore the historiographic, geographic and political boundaries related with these questions. In terms of historical sources, we would like to go beyond the usual suspects of printed and unprinted texts, but to include visual sources and artefacts. This poses new practical and theoretical challenges that need to be addressed. The presentation will be problem-oriented and won’t try to give definite answers to the raised questions.