Critiquing Theoretical Approaches to International Law: Toward a Balanced International Legal Order

Nejat Dogan

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Vydanie vedeckého časopisu číslo 2025-02
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Typ dokumentu: časopis
Typ príspevku: štúdia
Jazyk príspevku: angličtina
Publikované: 30. 6. 2025
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In: Societas et iurisprudentia • 2025 • ročník 13 • číslo 2 • strany 47-73 • ISSN 1339-5467

Abstract: International law stands at the crossroads of power and principle. Realist, state-centric, and Kantian traditions all attempt to explain its reach and its limits, yet each falls prey to characteristic blind spots. This article surveys the three approaches in turn, showing how Realism’s focus on survival dismisses law’s normative pull, how Statism prizes procedural legitimacy at the expense of substantive justice, and how Kantian Idealism risks licensing coercive interventions in the name of moral progress. Drawing on primary texts and doctrinal illustrations, the paper argues that no single paradigm provides an adequate blueprint for a durable world order. Instead, their composite flaws reveal the pre-conditions any future synthesis must meet: respect for individual rights, a realistic appraisal of power constraints, and an institutional design capable of incremental evolution. By mapping these limitations, the article lays the groundwork for later research without advancing a new grand theory. The analysis proceeds in three parts: first, a reconstruction of each approach’s core premises; second, a critique calibrated to the dual concept of peace (negative and positive); and third, a conclusion that distils practical lessons while underlining the continuing utility of the UN Charter and the ICJ Statute as adaptable legal scaffolds.

Key Words: International Law; Realism; State-centric Approach; Idealism; Kantian Approach; Negative Peace; Positive Peace.

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3013-8229

DOI: https://doi.org/10.31262/1339-5467/2025/13/2/47-73

URL: https://sei.iuridica.truni.sk/archive/2025/02/SEI-2025-02-Studies-Dogan-Nejat.pdf

Toto dielo je licencované pod Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Bibliografická citácia

DOGAN, N. Critiquing Theoretical Approaches to International Law: Toward a Balanced International Legal Order. Societas et iurisprudentia [online]. 2025, roč. 13, č. 2, s. 47-73 [cit. 2020-01-01]. ISSN 1339-5467. Dostupné na: https://doi.org/10.31262/1339-5467/2025/13/2/47-73.

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