Peace, war, law: teaching international law in contexts. Issue 4 (December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Donaldson, Megan
• Editors: Armstrong, Kenneth A.; Del Mar, Maksymilian; Sheldon, Sally
• Is Part Of: International journal of law in context. Volume 18:Issue 4(2022)
• Page Start: 393
• Page End: 402
• Publication Date: 2022-12
• Subjects: international law -- pedagogy -- imperialism -- history of international law -- contextualism; 340.11505
• DOI: 10.1017/S1744552322000350
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1744-5523

Abstract

Abstract: This essay takes up the question of what it is to teach international law 'in context', drawing on experiences of teaching undergraduate survey courses in the US and UK, and designing a new LLM module on Histories of International Law. The essay begins with an exploration of teaching as a particular context of its own – one with constraints which might also function as foils for creativity. It then sketches some aspects of what teaching international law 'in context(s)' might involve, including the ways in which contexts of different kinds put in question one's theory of law, and vice versa. It turns, finally, to an examination of the promise and limits of interdisciplinarity – particularly recourse to history as a discipline – in illuminating contexts.