Moltchanova, A: NATL SELF-DETERMINATION & JUST

Introduction.1. Multinational states and moral theories of international legal doctrine. 1.1 Current International Norms. 1.2 Moral Theories of International Legal Doctrine Concerning Self-Determination. 1.3 Self-Determination, Territory, and the Continuity of Entitlement.2. Collective agents and group moral rights. 2.1 Group Rights and Hart's Condition. 2.2 Collective Moral Rights and the Constitution of Group Agents: Primary Versus Derivative Group Rights. 2.3 The ontological status of group agents. 2.4 Practical Issues Associated with Primary Group Moral Rights. 2.5 Self-Determination as a Moral Right and Its Benefits.3. A definition of nationhood. 3.1 A General Methodological Approach to Defining Nationhood. 3.2 Some Definitions. 3.3 A New Definition of Nationhood. 3.4 Nationhood and Self-Determination.4. Potential political cultures. 4.1 Political Culture: Overview of the Continuum. 4.2 Three Problems. 4.3 Implications and Advantages of the Nations Approach.5. The modified right to self-determination. 5.1 National Groups' Entitlement to Self-Determination. 5.2 The Modified Right to Self-Determination.6. The implications of the modified right to self-determination. 6.1 The Nations Approach. 6.2 Multinational Federations and the Nations Approach. 6.3 A Teleological Justification of the Nations Approach. 6.4 The implementation of the nations approach. 6.5 Empirical Considerations.Conclusion. Notes.

This new book by Anna Moltchanova addresses the most fundamental questions of law, justice, and political legitimacy. Moltchanova proposes a moral standpoint from which to evaluate the actions of governments and individuals in the international arena, by measuring the values of national self-determination against the standards of universal human rights. Moltchanova's work is perceptive, provocative, and inspiring. Her focus on sub-state nationalism is particularly timely, as are her examples from the Russian Federation and the former Soviet Union. This is an interesting and thought-provoking book.Mortimer Sellers, Regents Professor, Center for International and Comparative Law, University of Baltimore