Sociology | Mercantile Law | International Law | International Relations
Nation state system provided the fundamental unity for giving this world an international society. This society of states faced various phases of peace and war to evolve into its contemporary shape. Today, international society is more powerful and strong under the shadow of international law than it was ever before in the past. Conflicts and frictions in the relations among states however undermine the concreteness of international society at different levels of interaction.
What is International Society?
International society can be defined as ‘community of world states gathered under an agenda that may be in the shape of international law at a universal organization in order to sort out the ways for achieving common goals and averting common threats thus primarily fulfilling the aim of a peaceful world’.
Elements shaping International Society
The definition carries following elements that establish an international society;
- Nation states
- International organization
- International law
- Common Agenda
- Aim for world peace
Origin of International Society
Evolution of international community can be studied after knowing its origin. It was the Peace of Westphalia of 1648 that actually laid the formal structure of nation states. Establishment of an international community was possible not before that. Thus, nation states became the first element of international community.
Nation states of the world plunged into the First World War in 1914. At the end of this war, the first ever time came in history when the idea of an international community was materialized. Following the proposition of the then American President Wilson, the League of Nations was established as an apparent body of international society.
Evolution of International Society
Evolution of international society began with the birth of the League of Nations after the First World War. The league became the first platform where the member states could debate over the international problems. But soon after the Great Depression of 1930s, the League became the victim of nationalism and state – centrism. This undermined the evolution of international society. World put itself into another Great War from 1939 to 1945. This was a period which might or might not be taken as evolutionary phase of international community. But in a compact view, World War Two ended bringing the nation states closer again in order to revive this interrupted evolution of international society. At that moment another international organization with the name of the ‘United Nations’ (UN) was established.
UN survives even today after having passed through the bumpy decades of the Cold War between the US and the USSR. The organization represents an international society with the gathering of 192 states as its members.
UN & the Evolution of International Society
In the contemporary state of affairs, the evolution of international society can be seen and assessed in terms of the evolution of the UN.
The UN as universal body of nation states pledges for the world peace and to avoid any possibilities that might lead the world into another major conflict.
International society today has evolved to discuss and deal with the modern day problems of global climate change, nuclear non-proliferation and so on. It is dealing with the issues of regional and civil conflicts as well to prevent them from escalation. As has been the case with Libya and Syria today where UN interfered to stop the wars.
Conclusion
From the origin of nation state system to the establishment of the League of Nations and then its successor the United Nations, International Society is endeavoring in one way or the other to infuse more rational ways to deal with the global problems and global crisis. The community faces dilemmas and debacles in their efforts but overall prevent the world system from disintegrating.