Review Essays
But Is It Good Enough? Jus ad Vim and the Danger of Perpetual War
This essay reflects on the divergent arguments about limited force made by Daniel
R. Brunstetter and Samuel Moyn in their respective monographs.
Briefly Noted: The Pivotal Generation: Why We Have a Moral Responsibility to Slow Climate Change Right Now
Why is it our generation’s burden to take responsibility for the ravages of climate change? Do those in wealthier countries have a particular moral responsibility toward billions of people living far from them—considering that these wealthy nations reaped the benefits of the Industrial Revolution but also contributed disproportionately to lasting climate damage—and if so, why and how much responsibility?
Identity and Shared Humanity: Reflections on Amartya Sen’s Memoir
The concept and implications of our shared humanity are central to the questions of where we belong, who we are, and how we relate to others. This idea features prominently in Amartya Sen’s work and it runs through his recent memoir Home in the World. Sen’s memoir is a compelling read, giving a fascinating view of the making of a great mind, a Nobel Laureate in welfare economics who is one of the foremost public intellectuals of our time.
Helping Refugees Where They Are
Some policies are not politically feasible. In the context of refugees, many claim it is not politically feasible to start admitting significantly more refugees into wealthy countries. This review essay argues that there are good reasons to suppose increasing refugees’ admissions to wealthy states is politically feasible, if we account for the ways citizens in wealthy states are harmed when refugees are not admitted, and for the ways citizens are harmed when immigration enforcement prevents refugees from arriving.
Climate Displacement and the Legal Gymnastics of Justice: Is It All Political?
The future for people becoming displaced due to climate processes is still unknown. The effects of climate change are more apparent every day, and those most acutely impacted are still unable to access an appropriate legal remedy for their woes. This review essay considers two new books that evaluate the limits to international legal protections and the application of justice.
Lengthening the Shadow of International Law
As of 2010, aggression became a crime for which individuals can be tried at the International Criminal Court. While this development may appear minor to some, it represents a significant turn both in jus ad bellum and in the ambit of the court.
The Many Evils of Inequality: An Examination of T. M. Scanlon’s Pluralist Account
This review essay presents an in-depth theoretical look at—and critique of—Scanlon’s pluralist approach to objectionable inequality.
How Not to Do Things with International Law
In this review essay, Anne Peters considers Ian Hurd’s recent book How to Do Things with International Law. Peters argues that, although the book is provocative and compelling, it may unwittingly reinforce the realist stance that international law is simply power politics in disguise.
