What About Hobbes? Legitimacy as a Matter of Inclusion in the Functional and Rational Exercise of International Public Power

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

    Abstract

    Inspired by Professor Bodansky’s powerful analysis of legitimacy and its discussion at this conference and reciprocating his compliment, I should like to address his brilliant ad hoc contribution to the conference. The starting point of the following brief remarks will be Professor Bodansky’s intriguing insight that the heart of the matter of legitimacy and our worrying about it is the question why should I obey (public) power? This very question points to the paradox of making collectively binding decisions of the political or the legal variety, in the words of the late Niklas Luhmann. My remarks are thus concerned with the positive theory of legitimacy.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationLegitimacy in International Law
    EditorsRüdiger Wolfrum, Volker Röben
    Place of PublicationBerlin
    PublisherSpringer Verlag
    Pages353-367
    Number of pages15
    ISBN (Electronic)9783540777649
    ISBN (Print)9783540777632
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2008

    Publication series

    NameBeiträge zum ausländischen öffentlichen Recht und Völkerrecht
    PublisherSpringer Verlag
    Volume194

    Keywords

    • Member state
    • Security Council
    • European Council
    • Informal group
    • Positive theory

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    • Legitimacy in International Law

      Wolfrum, R. (ed.) & Roeben, V., 2008, Berlin: Springer Verlag. 420 p. (Beiträge zum ausländischen öffentlichen Recht und Völkerrecht; vol. 194)

      Research output: Book/ReportBook

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