Sovereignty: The Origin and Future of a Political and Legal Concept

Columbia Studies in Political Thought / Political History

by Dieter Grimm, Belinda Cooper (Translation)

Dieter Grimm's accessible introduction to the concept of sovereignty ties the evolution of the idea to historical events, from the religious conflicts of sixteenth-century Europe to today's trends in globalization and transnational institutions. Grimm wonders whether recent political changes have undermined notions of national sovereignty, comparing manifestations of the concept in different parts of the world. Geared for classroom use, the study maps various notions of sovereignty in relation to the people, the nation, the state, and the federation, distinguishing between internal and external types of sovereignty. Grimm's book will appeal to political theorists and cultural-studies scholars and to readers interested in the role of charisma, power, originality, and individuality in political rule.

Genres: Politics, Political Science

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Dieter Grimm is a German lawyer and a former Supreme Court Justice, as well as the author of several works relating to the law.

Reviews

[Elia Mantovani · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good and compelling philosophical and legal introduction to the history and to the politics of the concept of sovereignty. However, the part concerning the pure theoretical philosophy of law is extremely dense and complex, I would probably not have been able to fully understand it without a proper explication. Moreover, I find Grimm's conclusion regarding the sovereignty in E.U. a bit aporetic, perhaps because it seems a bit incredible to justify the existence of a concept so changing and iridescent.

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an ending but a beginning, and a great one at that.

[Gift · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sovereignty is an excellent example of Political Theory on its highest level! I love the way Dieter Grimm writes. His arguments are clear; he gets straight to the point and doesn’t need long abstracts to justify his thesis. What´s more, he has the gift to present dry subjects in a fascinating way.
Sovereignty is one of the best (political) historical summaries I have ever read.

[Shelly Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this text was really excellent. Grimm provides a compelling legal and theoretical history of the idea of sovereignty. His reconstruction delves into questions of federalism, constituent power, divided sovereignty, pooled sovereignty, and the possibility of a post-sovereignty political organization.

Many of his examples are in the European context, with a particular focus on the activities of the German Constitutional Court with regard to the Maastricht and Lisbon judgements. It would be particularly interesting to those who are clued into debates concerning the legal and conceptual status of the EU as a supranational entity.

[Bob Finch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief and engaging discussion about sovereignty within a historical context. The author examines what we mean by the term, its evolution as a concept and in application, and a look to the future that considers the ever-increasing roles of international organizations. Essentially an exclusive focus on the USA and Europe.