Law Not War

About the Book

Law is an institution that has evolved and flourished through its 6000-year history. Tracing this history in complex societies from the Ancient Middle East to the contemporary world, this book poses the following question: Can international law become an effective instrument of social control among nations in the emerging world society? To develop effective international law will require minimal standards of inclusiveness and mutual responsibility. International law must be limited in its scope, and in its powers. It also must meet the fundamental requirement of an effective legal system: a widespread belief in its justice and fairness. How has that kind of respect for law come about in earlier societies? And how can it be fostered in the evolution of a world legal order?

About the Author

The writer, Richard D. Schwartz, is currently a senior research scholar at the Yale Law School and Ernest I. White Professor Emeritus of the College of Law at Syracuse University He is a founder and onetime President of the Law & Society Association, and the first editor of the Law & Society Review. He was the only non-lawyer to serve a full term as dean of an accredited law school