Research Overview

Much of my current research focuses on normative questions about international law, which I think of as the intersection between political philosophy, normative economics, and jurisprudence. I am currently working on a book-length project, generously supported in part by the Social Science & Humanities Research Council of Canada, that explores what grounds the legitimate authority of international law. I argue that international law is justified to the extent that it protects state sovereignty, instead of merely respecting consent or vindicating claims about justice. However, contrary to longstanding orthodoxy, I argue that international law must not protect sovereignty merely as non-interference but as non-domination. I try to mobilize these conclusions to defend various legal mechanisms that may seem at odds with sovereignty at first blush (e.g., compulsory licensing mechanisms). I call this view Republican Statism, drawing on the classical Republican tradition. 

Indeed, I also have some interest in the history of political philosophy, and am particularly interested in insights from the Roman philosopher Cicero (106-43 BC), the Dutch philosopher Grotius (1583-1645 AD), and the German philosopher Kant (1724-1804 AD). I remain convinced that the best answers to new questions are often old ones.