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Fragmentation

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Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy

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Introduction

Present-day scholars in international law and related fields generally agree that international law is characterized by “fragmentation.” Certainly, the diagnosis is apt, given the proliferation of specialized fields of law, normative sources, and corresponding institutions: for instance, matters of international trade, immigration, property, and seafaring as well as environmental issues and human rights are nowadays discussed with respect to distinct fields of law. A plethora of internationally active (quasi-)legal forums and organizations have emerged particularly after 1989, including the World Trade Organization and the International Criminal Court, alongside older organizations, such as the European Court of Human Rights and various United Nations institutions.

What, exactly, the fragmentation diagnosis means and entails, however, is a more complex issue – and one that raises fundamental conceptual and philosophical questions. These questions relate to the nature of...

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Acknowledgments

This article is supported by the Strategic Research Council at the Academy of Finland (grant number 345950).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland

    Timo Pankakoski

  2. Political Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Timo Pankakoski

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  1. Timo Pankakoski
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Correspondence to Timo Pankakoski .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Center for International & Comparative Law, University of Baltimore School of Law, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Mortimer Sellers

  2. Sozial- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften, University of Salzburg, Austria, Salzburg, Austria

    Stephan Kirste

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Theory, Sociology and Philosophy of Law, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Law, Belgrade, Serbia

    Miodrag Jovanovic LLM

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Pankakoski, T. (2023). Fragmentation. In: Sellers, M., Kirste, S. (eds) Encyclopedia of the Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6730-0_1115-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6730-0_1115-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-94-007-6730-0

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