Sentimental Life of International Law: Literature, Language, and Longing in World Politics

The Sentimental Life of International Law explores how international lawyers can engage in a professional practice that has become difficult and impossible. It suggests that international lawyers can be re-enabled by speaking different sorts of international law or by speaking international law in different ways. The book brings to the surface international law's hidden literary prose and offers a critical and redemptive account of the field. It also re-envisions international law through the practice of gardening.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 18 November 2021
Publisher: Oxford University Press

The Sentimental Life of International Law delves into our enduring quest for a just and harmonious global community, exploring the perspectives and approaches that can aid us in achieving this noble objective. This thought-provoking book poses the question of how international lawyers can navigate a profession that has become both challenging and seemingly impossible. It suggests that the prevailing idioms of international lawyering hinder the ability of these professionals, and proposes that they can regain their effectiveness by adopting different modes of speaking international law or by employing distinct approaches to its application.

In this methodologically diverse and deeply personal narrative, Gerry Simpson uncovers the hidden literary prose of international law, offering a critical and redeeming account of the field. He explores various aspects of international law, including its pathetic foundations, its amicable relations, the neurotic underpinnings of its social order, its concealed comedic dispositions, its anti-methodical tendencies, and the lived experiences of its practitioners.

The book concludes with a chapter that reimagines international law through the practice of gardening, presenting it as a contribution to the ongoing endeavor of revitalizing international law as a compelling language for our contemporary times.

Through this comprehensive exploration, The Sentimental Life of International Law provides valuable insights into the complexities and challenges of international law, offering a roadmap for professionals seeking to navigate this complex and ever-evolving field.

Weight: 494g
Dimension: 240 x 164 x 17 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192849793