The political make-up of the contemporary world changes with such rapidity that few attempts have been made to consider with adequate care, the nature and value of the concept of sovereignty. What exactly is meant when one speaks about the acquisition, preservation, infringement or loss of sovereignty? This book revisits the assumptions underlying the applications of this fundamental category, as well as studying the political discourses in which it has been embedded. Bringing together historians, constitutional lawyers, political philosophers and experts in international relations, Sovereignty in Fragments seeks to dispel the illusion that there is a unitary concept of sovereignty of which one could offer a clear definition. This book will appeal to scholars and advanced students of international relations, international law and the history of political thought.

‘Kalmo and Skinner's excellent collection will appeal to scholars in political theory, jurisprudence, legal history, international law, European studies and international relations. No other work has drawn on high calibre scholars from different disciplines to examine the contemporary meaning and significance of sovereignty.'

Andrew Linklater - Aberystwyth University

‘For anyone interested in seeing the concept of sovereignty fold into the different forms imposed by rival practices and theories, and assume the different functions ascribed in those competing constructions, this collection offers a dazzling range of perspectives.'

Philip Pettit - Princeton University