The Standard of Civilization in Contemporary International Society

During the nineteenth century first global application of international norms and expected standards of behavior took place through the process of the expansion of the European society of states and its gradual transformation to the contemporary global international society. In this process, the standard of ‘civilization’ played an essential role in determining which states would join the expanding European society and which ones would not.

This volume seeks to demonstrate that although the historical standard of ‘civilization’ has fallen to disrepute, it still remains an international practice as well as a benchmark against which the attitudes and policies of states are assessed. Utilizing the theoretical framework of the English School of International Relations, the volume identifies ‘membership conditionality’ as the contemporary version of the historical standard of ‘civilization’. It discusses how it has been applied by various regional and global organizations thereby creating hierarchies within the global as well as the various regional international societies.

This text will be of key interest to students and scholars in international relations theory, international law, international organizations, international political theory, European studies, and historical sociology.