Global Governance
and Law
Governance 440/Global Studies 440
Course
Outline
Unit 2
The History and Evolution
of International Law
Overview
This section reviews the historical evolution of international law and the processes and institutions of global governance. International law has been around for many centuries and its evolution parallels the development of the contemporary state system. In this section we will examine the origins of international law and global governance and the way that they have developed in response to changes in power, material interests, and ideas over time. It will also provide a brief overview of more recent developments in these areas. This section is intended to provide an understanding of the history of law and governance and to identify in this history patterns of practice that continue to influence these areas today.
Learning Objectives
When you have completed Unit 2, you should be able to achieve the following learning objectives:
- Understand how and why states support international law and international institutions
- Identify the relationship between the development of international law and the modern society of states
- Explain how and why international institutions were established
- Explain the role of ideas in the development of international law and international institutions
- Identify the sources of continuity and change in the evolution of international law
- Explain how globalization has affected international law and global governance
- Explain how a former national leader, Augosto Pinochet could be brought to trial in Britain in the 1990s for crimes he committed while president of Chile in the 1970s
