Restraining Power: The Law of Nature and the Theory of International Relations

A provocative and erudite history of international political thought—explaining why things have gone so dangerously wrong

Restraining Power examines the ethical and strategic dilemmas of sovereign coexistence. Excavating a forgotten tradition of the “law of nature and nations” intended to restrain the violent impulses of states, David C. Hendrickson shows how this perspective emphasizes respect for the rights of other nations. It provides an essential bulwark of peace in an anarchic world.

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