Beyond particularism: Remarks on some recent approaches to the idea of a universal political and legal order

Abstract

Theories of global order are traceable back to two main paradigms, particularism and universalism, the first of them asserting that true global order is a chimaera, the second affirming that a worldwide political and legal system securing peace and human rights protection is both desirable and feasible. Against this background, the article analyses some recent contributions to the question of the conditions for the establishment of a worldwide system guaranteeing peaceful and cooperative interaction. The authors of the books under review share the commitment to the universalistic view, but substantiate it by resorting to distinct theoretical presuppositions. By outlining the different frameworks, the article presents the books being discussed as inspiring inputs on the way to the renewal of universalism at the beginning of the 21st century. © EJIL 2010; all rights reserved.