Having learned that sovereignty is not the sole concept that
states need in their relations with each other -- a sign of
sophistication and progress -- we long for the sovereign state
to be superseded altogether. And forgetting that sovereignty
is only a concept, we seek to supersede the sovereignty of the
individual state by superseding the individual state itself.

-- F. H. Hinsley ¹

That so many have employed the concept of sovereignty with
such frequency should not be taken to imply that sovereignty is
uniformly regarded as a laudable feature of international life. Schol-
ars often speak sternly of sovereignty, disapproving of it as immoral,
dismissing it as outmoded, or imploring that it be fundamentally
altered in short order. ² Just as certain observers disagree on how
sovereign status is attained and what sovereignty implies, so do
many people differ on the extent to which sovereignty is useful. Is
sovereignty a central pillar of international relations? Is it alterna-

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