PP247 Study Guide - Socalled, Multilateral Treaty, Female Genital Mutilation
Document Summary
To assume there is a law of nations is to assume there is a society of nations: underlying assumption. Origins of law of nations": western european nations 16th century. All shared a common background: christianity, greece/rome civilizations. International law as a branch of ethics rather than law. Problem arises however if international law is only viewed as international morality because morality is subjective: setting a standard is difficult. Examples: refusing economic aid to poor countries, granting asylum, nuclear war in self defense (all different standards of morality) Rightness of a states act": two part test, morality, did it breach international law, habitually all states act in a manor that is detrimental to other states which may not be moral. But at the end of the day in defending their actions the state would never bring up the morality of their actions as a defense but rather a breach of law occurred: example; british/argentina falkan islands situation.
