A Genealogy of Sovereignty

Download or read book A Genealogy of Sovereignty written by Jens Bartelson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1995-04-06 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The concept of sovereignty is central to international relations theory and theories of state formation, and provides the foundation of the conventional separation of modern politics into domestic and international spheres. In this book Jens Bartelson provides a critical analysis and conceptual history of sovereignty, dealing with this separation as reflected in philosophical and political texts during three periods: the Renaissance, the Classical Age, and Modernity. He argues that the concept of sovereignty and its place within political discourse are conditioned by philosophical and historiographical discontinuities between the periods, and that sovereignty should be regarded as a concept contingent upon, rather than fundamental to, political science and its history.