Territorial Sovereignty: A Philosophical ExplorationTerritorial Sovereignty: A Philosophical Exploration offers a qualified defense of a territorial states-system. It argues that three core values-occupancy, basic justice, and collective self-determination-are served by an international system made up of self-governing, spatially defined political units. The defense is qualified because the book does not actually justify all the sovereignty rights states currently claim, and that are recognized in international law. Instead, the book proposes important changes to states' sovereign prerogatives, particularly with respect to internal autonomy for political minorities, immigration, and natural resources. Part I of the book argues for a right of occupancy, holding that a legitimate function of the international system is to specify and protect people's preinstitutional claims to specific geographical places. Part II turns to the question of how a state might acquire legitimate jurisdiction over a population of occupants. It argues that the state will have a right to rule a population and its territory if it satisfies conditions of basic justice and also facilitates its people's collective self-determination. Finally, Parts III and IV of this book argue that the exclusionary sovereignty rights to control over borders and natural resources that can plausibly be justified on the basis of the three core values are more limited than has traditionally been thought. Oxford Political Theory presents the best new work in contemporary political theory. It is intended to be broad in scope, including original contributions to political philosophy, and also work in applied political theory. The series will contain works of outstanding quality with no restriction as to approach or subject matter. |
Contents
Introduction The Normative Bases for Territorial Sovereignty | 1 |
OCCUPANCY | 31 |
SELFDETERMINATION | 87 |
EXCLUSION | 155 |
LOOKING FORWARD | 217 |
Bibliography | 259 |
Name Index | 275 |
| 277 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
alienated argument autonomy theory basic justice basic territorial interests believe boundaries citizens climate change coercion coercive collective self-determination colonial commitments common conventions cooperate core values cosmopolitan David Miller decisions democratic dissenters distribution duty to respect economic enforce equal fair-use proviso forest freedom functionalist fundamental territorial interests Global Justice harm holds human rights I-Kiribati Immigration important impose individuals inhabitants institutionalist international law Jeremy Waldron Joseph Raz jurisdiction justified Kiribati Kymlicka land legitimacy legitimate liberal nationalists limited lives located life plans minorities moral claim natural resources occupancy rights ownership Oxford University Press participation people's permanent sovereignty personal autonomy policies political autonomy political institutions Political Theory population practice-based interests practices primitive right principle pro tanto protect Rawls reason reflect refugees require resource sovereignty responsibility right to exclude Ronald Dworkin rule significant social society state's territorial rights UN General Assembly unilateral would-be migrants wrong