Democratic Peace

Jorg Kustermans is Associate Professor of International Politics in the Department of Political Science at the University of Antwerp in Belgium. He works at the intersection of international theory, social theory, and historical international relations, with publications both in International Relations (Journal of International Relations and Development, Review of International Studies, Millennium, Global Constitutionalism, International Organization, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Global Studies Quarterly) and in related fields (Thesis Eleven, Journal of Historical Sociology, Journal of the History of International Law).

• 1.Introduction. 2.Finding democratic peace. 3.Social practices. 4.Intermezzo: Henry Maine and the modern invention of peace. 5.A Modern Practice? 6.Cold War. 7.Regicide. 8.Conclusion: Historicization and the future of democratic peace.

Kustermans provides a bold, insightful and refreshing turn on an over-discussed topic. Drawing upon the intellectual history and hermeneutics of peace, he engages in a fascinating rereading of the democratic peace thesis. From medieval to modern to neomedieval romantic peace, the book underscores the diverse cultural underpinnings of democratic peace that support its more recent manifestations in the Cold War era and 21st century. His somber and penetrating analysis should be read by anyone who wishes to understand the long and complex history of our present peace predicaments.Costas M. Constantinou, University of CyprusPeace is the core concept that the field of International Relations paradoxically shies away from. Jorg Kustermans provides a powerful counterpoint. Brilliantly tracing the democratic peace as a historical and cultural practice he invites us to think peace politically.Benjamin Herborth, University of Groningen