Violence and law in the modern age

Bibliographic Information

Violence and law in the modern age

Antonio Cassese ; translated by S.J.K. Greenleaves

Polity Press, 1988

Other Title

Violenza e diritto nell'era nucleare

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Note

Translation of: Violenza e diritto nell'era nucleare

Includes bibliographical references (p. [172]-183) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

This book examines some of the most shattering events in recent history, from the annihilation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to mass murder in Sabra and Shatila, from the hijacking of the Achille Lauro' to torture and murder by officials of the state. In each case, Cassese tries to understand why states - Nietzsche's cold-hearted monsters' - acted as they did, and what this bodes for the future. Cassese also raises questions of a more general legal and political kind: why do states use force with impunity? Is the first use of nuclear weapons prohibited by international law, and if not, why not? Should one obey superior orders and perform a criminal act, as Abraham was prepared to do, or should one respect the moral laws of one's people, as Antigone did? The picture of world events is vivid, Cassese's analysis is clear and provocative. This is a book not only for students of politics, law and international affairs, but also for general readers who wish to watch the antics of the state with their eyes wide open. Violence and Law in the "Modern Age" was awarded the Amnesty International Cesare Pogliano' Prize for 1986.

Table of Contents

  • Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the Imperatives of the International Community
  • Why States Use Force With Impunity: The Black Holes' of International Law
  • Is the First Use of Nuclear Weapons Forbidden?
  • Negotiation Versus Force: The Achille Lauro Imbroglio
  • Sabra and Shatila
  • Crime Without Punishment: The Captain Astiz Affair
  • Klaus Barbie: The Exemplary Life of an Executioner
  • Abraham and Antigone: Two Conflicting Imperatives
  • Front-line National Courts and International Law.

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