ABSTRACT
The conceptual vantage point of this volume is to explore the ‘legalization’ of world politics in terms of a complex set of transformations creating a multitude of overlapping, at times complementary, at times contradictory legal realms, or ‘legalities’. Its basic assumption is that the emergence and co-existence of multiple legalities alter patterns and features of international co-operation, modify the interactions between states and non-state actors, and contribute to the redefinition of agency and identity in world politics. In this chapter, we review different analytical approaches addressing different dimensions of international legalization, and integrate their findings in a common frame of reference that is broad enough to capture the increase in international law making, the variation of legal regimes, and the differentiation of legal and law-like arrangements, and, at the same time, focused enough to identify the politics of the many moves to law that characterize the ‘complex legalization’ of transnational relations.1 We argue that only by combining these dimensions, can we fully appreciate the transformations of law and politics in the context of globalization.
