Master practitioner of international law: Japan’s rise through the ranks of international society, 1853-1905
<p>This thesis examines Japan’s rise through the ranks of international society between 1853 and 1905 from the lens of the practice of international law. It pursues two objectives: (1) to present a theoretical integration of the English School and the practice literature in IR; and (2) to anal...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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2022
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| _version_ | 1797107853080657920 |
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| author | Miyazaki, M |
| author2 | Keene, E |
| author_facet | Keene, E Miyazaki, M |
| author_sort | Miyazaki, M |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | <p>This thesis examines Japan’s rise through the ranks of international society between 1853 and 1905 from the lens of the practice of international law. It pursues two objectives: (1) to present a theoretical integration of the English School and the practice literature in IR; and (2) to analyze how Japan achieved this rise by becoming a ‘master practitioner’ of international law.</p>
<p>The study offers a conceptualization of international society as a universal yet stratified community of practice of international law. It identifies three stages of a practitioner: novice, regular, and master, based on three cumulative criteria of background knowledge and rule acceptance, simple compliance, and ability to exploit the rules for national interests and international reputation, particularly through forward-looking and backward- looking mistake-correcting. Empirically, the study examines how Japan transitioned from a novice practitioner under the Tokugawa regime (1853-68) to a regular practitioner under the Meiji government (1868-1894) and a master practitioner during and after the Sino- Japanese War (1894-1905) by correcting two mistakes: the sinking of the Kowshing and the Port Arthur massacre. I conduct a single-N qualitative research, analyzing Japanese and foreign archival sources and writings of prominent publicists, who served as key recognizers.</p>
<p>Three contributions are made to IR. First, the thesis brings international law to the center of the English School’s notion of international society and shifts the analysis from its passive narrative of socialization and conformity to a more agential narrative of practice. Second, the thesis demonstrates that attaining high position in international society was harder than what has been conventionally suggested by revealing how masterful performance, not simple compliance, accorded high rank. Finally, the thesis brings an agential understanding of Japan’s rise through its historically-grounded analysis. The study furthers the English School, and the larger themes of hierarchy, practice, and agency speak to the broader IR.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:21:28Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oxford-uuid:8ab5a788-4e20-42cb-973b-fbaa000f418a |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:21:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:8ab5a788-4e20-42cb-973b-fbaa000f418a2022-10-17T10:02:28ZMaster practitioner of international law: Japan’s rise through the ranks of international society, 1853-1905Thesishttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_bdccuuid:8ab5a788-4e20-42cb-973b-fbaa000f418ainternational relationsEnglishHyrax Deposit2022Miyazaki, MKeene, E<p>This thesis examines Japan’s rise through the ranks of international society between 1853 and 1905 from the lens of the practice of international law. It pursues two objectives: (1) to present a theoretical integration of the English School and the practice literature in IR; and (2) to analyze how Japan achieved this rise by becoming a ‘master practitioner’ of international law.</p> <p>The study offers a conceptualization of international society as a universal yet stratified community of practice of international law. It identifies three stages of a practitioner: novice, regular, and master, based on three cumulative criteria of background knowledge and rule acceptance, simple compliance, and ability to exploit the rules for national interests and international reputation, particularly through forward-looking and backward- looking mistake-correcting. Empirically, the study examines how Japan transitioned from a novice practitioner under the Tokugawa regime (1853-68) to a regular practitioner under the Meiji government (1868-1894) and a master practitioner during and after the Sino- Japanese War (1894-1905) by correcting two mistakes: the sinking of the Kowshing and the Port Arthur massacre. I conduct a single-N qualitative research, analyzing Japanese and foreign archival sources and writings of prominent publicists, who served as key recognizers.</p> <p>Three contributions are made to IR. First, the thesis brings international law to the center of the English School’s notion of international society and shifts the analysis from its passive narrative of socialization and conformity to a more agential narrative of practice. Second, the thesis demonstrates that attaining high position in international society was harder than what has been conventionally suggested by revealing how masterful performance, not simple compliance, accorded high rank. Finally, the thesis brings an agential understanding of Japan’s rise through its historically-grounded analysis. The study furthers the English School, and the larger themes of hierarchy, practice, and agency speak to the broader IR.</p> |
| spellingShingle | international relations Miyazaki, M Master practitioner of international law: Japan’s rise through the ranks of international society, 1853-1905 |
| title | Master practitioner of international law: Japan’s rise through the ranks of international society, 1853-1905 |
| title_full | Master practitioner of international law: Japan’s rise through the ranks of international society, 1853-1905 |
| title_fullStr | Master practitioner of international law: Japan’s rise through the ranks of international society, 1853-1905 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Master practitioner of international law: Japan’s rise through the ranks of international society, 1853-1905 |
| title_short | Master practitioner of international law: Japan’s rise through the ranks of international society, 1853-1905 |
| title_sort | master practitioner of international law japan s rise through the ranks of international society 1853 1905 |
| topic | international relations |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT miyazakim masterpractitionerofinternationallawjapansrisethroughtheranksofinternationalsociety18531905 |