International Relations, the Path Not Taken: Using International Law to Promote World Peace and Security.

AuthorSmith, Michael (American law student)
PositionBook review

International Relations, The Path Not Taken. Using International Law to Promote World Peace and Security. By Thomas J. Schoenbaum, New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Pp. xv, 320. $75.00 (hardback), $29.99 (paperback).

International Relations, the Path Not Taken has two purposes. The first is to provide an introduction to contemporary theories of international relations and a primer on international law. The second is to make the case for liberal internationalism. As a pedagogical tool, the book gives an effective overview. The book proceeds historically through the movements behind international relations theory. Chapters two and three explain realism, liberal internationalism, and their relation to the pre-World War I balance of power system, the interwar period, World War II and postwar developments, the Cold War, and the world today. Chapter four covers notions of sovereignty, sources of international law, natural law and positivism, the idea of international society, international actors, enforcement, and critiques of international law. Chapters five through nine discuss the role of international law in international peace and security, international political economy, international environmental protection, international human rights, and international crime. In each of these substantive areas, Schoenbaum (1) provides an overview of the important treaties and international organizations and discusses the ways in which they can be reformed and improved.

Schoenbaum's writing is clear and readable throughout. He demonstrates a strong grasp of intellectual history, adding depth and context to his description of the development of international law and relations. Each chapter also includes a list of further readings that would be valuable to interested students.

As an argumentative piece advancing a clear thesis, International Relations, the Path Not Taken is less effective. The central idea of the book is that "[i]nternational law and international institutions must be the focal points of foreign policy and international relations for all countries ... [t]hey should now be consciously employed to create a new global order in international relations" (p. vii). Schoenbaum argues that "the way forward is not to ignore and deprecate international law and institutions but to reform and improve them" (p. vii). His argument acknowledges that "states, which are still central to international society, are rational actors that have...

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