Abstract

The concept of legal obligation has become ubiquitous in International Relations and International Law literatures in the last few decades. Yet our theoretical grasp of the construct remains significantly limited. There has been no analysis of what a sense of obligation toward international law means and how it operates. Drawing from legal philosophy, psychology, and international relations theory, this article offers a conceptual understanding of the psychological dimension of legal obligation and provides an analytical framework to examine its implications for global politics. This paper contributes to a number of literatures. First, adds to a large body of research on international law in global politics, by clarifying the frequently evoked yet rarely theorized concept of legal obligation. Second, by advancing a fresh way to think the authority of international law in global politics, this study adds to the bourgeoning literature on authority and legitimacy in social sciences. Finally, this work opens up new avenues of interdisciplinary research on international law.