APPROACHES

Abstract

This chapter introduces some of the most important approaches to international law. The introductory section illustrates what is meant by ‘approaches’, introduces the distinction between ‘methodology’ and ‘methods’, reflects on the traditional approach to international law and on its relationship with positivism, and briefly introduces commonalities among and pluralities within critical approaches to international law more broadly. The following sections, then, introduce students to (philosophical) positivism as an approach to international law, as well as to feminist and queer theory approaches, Third World Approaches, and Marxist approaches to international law. These sections mainly serve to familiarise students with different theoretical perspectives or ‘lenses’ through which international law can be seen.