What is the ‘International’?

The submission number 35600267

One may find the International a term fluid in nature, as since 1780 it has been redefined by many, but the essence of it still remains as one of common understanding. Therefore one will explore its potential.

Jeremy Bentham has first introduce the term “International” in his book “An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation”. He used it as a translation of a Latin term ius gentium, also known as the ‘law of nations’. However, the way he applied it was to show the importance of the execution of justice concerning multiple sovereign States.

The International Law, in Benthams understanding was to allow a logical way of applying law internally in cases of “members of the same State” and “members of different States” executed by internal jurisprudence. The difference between the two lies in the essence of situations where the member of the same State breaks the law and therefore the execution of the broken law will be referred to the head of internal jurisprudence, where if a member of a different State breaks the law it would be referred to that of international jurisprudence.

Bentham creates the separation of the international and the domestic space by explaining the relationship between the two. In cases of international law the States reduce them selves to a “condition of a private person”, which therefore explains why domestic law cannot be executed in a case of a “guilty State” by the internal jurisprudence. It has to be referred to the one above the sovereignty of the State at fault.

However, since the times of Bentham changes occurred and the relationships between the States has evolved with the technology and migration. Due to that shift of co-operation between the sovereign States, from purely justice related disputes to economic and security integrity the International has expanded in territory.

John Gerard Ruggie addresses that shift in his article “Territoriality and beyond”. He addresses the evolving ground on which the States interact with each other. One can draw a simple conclusion from his philosophy, and that is that States in the postmodern world are reliant on