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Part I Introduction, Ch.2 Law of Nations or Perpetual Peace? Two Early International Theories on the Use of Force

Daniele Archibugi, Mariano Croce, Andrea Salvatore

From: The Oxford Handbook of the Use of Force in International Law

Edited By: Marc Weller

From: Oxford Public International Law (http://opil.ouplaw.com). (c) Oxford University Press, 2023. All Rights Reserved.date: 07 December 2023

Subject(s):
Armed conflict, international — Armed conflict, non-international — Belligerents

This chapter considers the law of nations (LN) and the perpetual peace projects (PPP), two intellectual traditions giving rise to an international theory aimed at regulating or abolishing the use of armed force. It examines the role of the LN and the PPP in the emergence of modern international law and of international organizations and peace movements, and how they influenced and were influenced by the rise of the modern European states. It charts the history of both traditions and the emergence of the state as the main player in internal and international politics before concluding with a discussion on the use of armed force concerning four main cases which were the subjects of considerable debate within both the LN and the PPP: war among states, the right to resist or to fight a revolution against an oppressive regime, humanitarian intervention, and the use of force against stateless indigenous populations.

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