Scobbie: The Function of War in the International Community

Iain Scobbie (Univ. of Manchester - Law) has posted The Function of War in the International Community (in Fundamental Concepts for International Law: The Construction of a Discipline, Jean d'Aspremont & Sahib Singh eds., forthcoming). Here's the abstract:

Collective security has been described as the central myth of liberal internationalism and the cornerstone of the international legal order since the creation of the League of Nations. This paper locates of the doctrine collective security within its historical and political context. It gives an account of some competing views regarding resort to armed force which arise from different political perspectives regarding the function of conflict in international relations. It concludes by considering if contemporary developments regarding the use of force might be seen to prefigure a retrogressive and fundamental shift in the nature and understanding of collective security.