Pirate Passages in Global History

Abstract

This Afterword describes some limitations of conceptual histories of piracy and critiques the field’s enduring emphasis on pirates as hostes humani generis, enemies of all mankind. The volume’s chapters show a wide range of representations of pirates and move beyond the idea of a single or uniquely European perspective on piracy that can be compared or contrasted with other approaches. The Afterword summarizes key insights from the chapters and sketches several promising trajectories in research on piracy, including studies of global patterns of maritime violence, analyses of the spatial and political contexts of piracy, and new approaches to piracy in the history of international law.