Introduction

This introductory chapter outlines the main themes of the volume as well as its structure and purpose. The editors explain why a discussion of Arthur Ripstein’s new work on Kant and the Law of War is particularly interesting from the point of view of several contemporary debates. The chapter provides a brief overview of the key questions discussed by the contributors in this book. The overall aim is to canvass how and why Kantian (just) war theory is so intriguing from the viewpoint of law, politics, and philosophy. The chapter’s main angle is the idea of a continuous spectrum of state power, spanning from the constitutional level all the way to the conduct of war.