Providing documentary history of the idea of sovereignty from classical theory to the global age, the diachronic perspective of this work illuminates the characteristic feature of modern sovereignty: the anthropomorphism of nations. The synchronic perspective describes conflicting elements within the history of sovereignty by identifying its encounter with nationalism and constitutionalism. The historical examination of sovereignty leads the author to conclude that the recent transformation of the principle of sovereignty can be understood in the context of new international constitutionalism.

The end of the Cold War and the onset of globalization have brought the study of international politics face-to-face with issues such as human rights, humanitarian interventions, environmental concerns, global social movements, and health issues such as HIV/AIDS. The contributors to this volume re-examine existing approaches and formulate new ethical perspectives for the 21st Century. This volume challenges the status quo in international relations and provides an opening for an alternative theoretical debate for those who are interested in international political theory.

This book provides a complete documentary history of the idea of sovereignty from Classical theory to the global age. The historical examination of sovereignty leads the author to conclude that the recent transformation of the principle of sovereignty can be understood in the context of 'new international constitutionalism'.