...AN INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL LAW "The case against historical objectivity is like the case against international law, that it does not exist" (Sir Isaiah Berlin) International law exists, although it is true it suffers from serious problems relating to foundational concepts of justice and reciprocity and is the subject of unfortunate neglect by scholars. The ALE (American Law Institute) defines international law as "law that deals with the conduct of states and of international organizations and with their relations inter se [among themselves], as well as some of their relations with persons, whether natural or juridical" (Buergenthal & Murphy 2002). More elegant definitions can be found, such as the common one where it can be described as "law that deals with the relationships between states, or between persons or entities in different states." Even simpler definitions can be found reducing it to "laws governing relations between nations." There's an unfortunate tendency for the simplest of definitions to focus only on nation-states, as if nation-state relationships were the only thing that mattered, but the fact is that any entity (even a corporation or a person) which possesses "international personality" is subject to international law. This is important because without including international organizations or personalities, there would be no basis for international trade law, international humanitarian law, or international human rights law. If one's purpose...
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