Free Term Papers on International Law

OPPapers.com Essay Index >> American History >> International Law

We have many free term papers and essays on International Law. We also have a wide variety of research papers and book reports available to you for free. You can browse our collection of term papers or use our search engine.

Essays from FratFiles.com
  1. The Modern International Law History In The East Asia

    The modern international law history in the East Asia. ... So international law might
    have been used during the negotiation, but there is no proof. ...

  2. International Law

    international law. ... Some may even argue that International law is now controlled by
    states and reflects the character of society rather than the opposite. ...

  3. International Law

    International Law. International Law has been active for over 1500 years in one
    shape or another. ... International law will provide the push for this movement. ...

  4. International Law

    International Law. ... The case-law of the ICJ is an important aspect of the
    UN's contribution to the development of international law. ...

  5. International Law

    International Law. ... The case-law of the ICJ is an important aspect of the
    UN's contribution to the development of international law. ...

View More Papers...

International Law

Submitted by jiggggaquoi on May 20, 2006

Category: American History
Words: 687 | Pages: 3
Views: 123
Popularity Rank: 86,010
Average Member Grade: N/A (Add a Comment / Grade this Paper)

Although social conventions regarding a nation's
conduct in war have no doubt been around for as long
as civilization itself, the present era of formal
conventions may be traced back to the first Geneva
Convention signed in 1864. With each major war, a new
set of conventions were signed that prohibited the
most flagrant atrocities committed, whether these be
pillage, poison gas, or torture. The term human rights
has evolved from these conventions and will be used to
refer to all conventions regarding the treatment of
individuals by a state. The extent to which these
conventions, as well as later ones drafted by the UN
and other organizations, have force of law has been
debated endlessly. The current violations of human
rights on the part of the United States in its war
against Iraq and radical Islamist groups are just the
latest permutation of this debate.
Three fundamental views on human rights may be
identified, both generally and in an international
context. Those who subscribe to the realist view might
say that human rights are a fiction with no basis in
reality. A state may choose to protect or violate
human rights as it chooses, and there may be occasions
where it must violate human rights for
self-preservation, which is seen as the primary driver
of all actions on the part of the state. This position
is closely linked to the beliefs of the current
administration, as well as to survival-of-the-fittest
Social Darwinist ideology.
A second view assumes the primacy of human rights.
This is the liberal view, which is based on the idea
of natural law, which humans (and institutions) must
obey whether we like it or not. In this view, human
rights conventions merely encode an unwritten law that
exists regardless, and...

You must Login to view the entire paper.
If you are not a member yet, Sign Up for free!