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Publication Date

Spring 2026

Abstract

By bridging the gap between scholarship on Machiavelli’s realism and legal thought, “Machiavelli’s Realist International Law” supports a historical approach of understanding Machiavellian international law through a realistic, human-centered project for state survival. I argue that if realism shapes the way that law produces order, then our interpretation of Machiavelli’s realism determines how we understand his views on the law’s source and function. Through a careful textual analysis of The Prince and The Discourses on Livy, I frame Machiavelli’s relationship to international law as a historical-ahistorical axis that situates his conception of foreign affairs alongside modern debates about realism and the international legal system. By linking international relations, political theory, and international legal thought, I critique ahistorical accounts that understand Machiavelli’s theories as the foundation for perpetual, anarchic violence in which the law holds no meaningful authority. Instead, reconsidering Machiavelli’s great works raises profound tensions about the unequal, imperfect distribution of power within the international legal system. Ultimately, Machiavelli’s works can be interpreted to view international law as a system created by imperfect, self-interested humans to advance state interests.

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