Sovereignty: Interpretations

The concept of sovereignty has long been blamed for fostering oppression within the state and aggression without. While recognizing the problem which is the abuse of sovereign power, this study, through close engagement with important theoretical and legal sources, attempts to bring to light the concept's normative force. It argues that sovereignty's essential logic is both popular and pacific and that the task ahead lies with entrenching and extending what should be its democratic roots as well as the external obligations it necessarily involves. The theoretical stance of this study is supplemented by discussion of the changes in the actual practice of sovereignty that have taken place over time, changes that have seen sovereignty's popularization and constitutionalization as well as general recognition of the ultimately contradictory relation between sovereignty and military aggression and imperialism. This study also looks to the future, highlighting the constructive and progressive role sovereignty can play internationally in the context of its discussion of the European Union and also domestically in advancing the self-determination of individuals, minorities and indigenous peoples.