Law is an institution that has evolved and flourished throughout its six-thousand-year history. Tracing this history in complex societies from the Ancient Middle East to the contemporary world, this book poses the following question: can international law become an effective instrument of social control among nations in the emerging world society?

To develop effective international law will require minimal standards of inclusiveness and mutual responsibility. International law must be limited in its scope and its powers. It must also meet the fundamental requirement of an effective legal system: a widespread belief in its justice and fairness. How has that kind of respect for the law come about in earlier societies, and how can it be fostered in the evolution of a world legal order?