Collins: Towards a Grand Unified Theory of International Economic Law

David A. Collins (City Univ. London - Law) has posted Towards a Grand Unified Theory of International Economic Law. Here's the abstract:

This article offers chaos, a theory drawn from the physical sciences, as an explanatory model for international economic law which consists of the law of the WTO, international investment law, and the policies of the IMF and World Bank. The laws promulgated by these institutions as the central pillars of global economic governance are both indeterminate and susceptible to external influences, leading to unpredictable outcomes in the longer term, even if they appear deterministic on the small scale for individual states or firms. The observed chaotic nature of international economic law should be viewed as a benevolent feature of the system, as its inescapable unpredictability engenders flexibility and adaptability. These are traits which are valuable for both governments and firms operating in the dynamic global economy. The utility of international economic law should therefore not be judged by reference to macroeconomic benchmarks. The article concludes by suggesting that chaos theory may be seen as universal model that conceptually unifies the four disciplines of international economic law.