International law as shibboleth: the continued appeal of heroic narratives in support of military intervention

Abstract

  Political debates on the use of force draw on Manichean narratives which are legitimated by legalistic language. Overreliance on such narratives devalues international law as a safeguard against the illegal use of force, silences criticism that militarism is not the solution to international crises, and blurs legal and non-legal justifications for intervention.