SYMPOSIUM ON THE FUTURE OF GLOBAL LAW

| 2 | Introduction dom in approaching it, as a spacious subject, indeed a broader theme. It navigates also in time, in the past, in the present and much more in the future (as an im- portant part of the Legal Futurology). And even if its internal consistency is ques- tioned, even if it lacks a precise content or specific rules, it cannot be contested that Global Law is an ideal following the Kantian idealistic thought and reflects an evolving process, an idea en voie de devenir . This book is a collection of essays on Global Law, written by a select group of dis- tinguished international scholars. The diversity of subjects represented in the pre- sent edition is matched with the diversity of perspectives provided by the authors. From constitutional theory to international governance, from private and public international law to legal history and comparative law. From viewing Law as an au- tonomous field of study to insisting on the interconnections with other disciplines and the unity of human knowledge. From tours d’horizon to concrete explorations or even “fragments” of legal discourse. Regardless of how one instinctively views the concept of Global Law, there is a lot to be gained by setting the basis for this reflection. This collection of essays 2 is the result of an International Symposium on “The Fu- ture of Global Law”, organized by the Department of International Studies of the Faculty of Law of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and held in the historic Central Building of the University. The Symposium was a unique oppor- tunity to bring together renowned international experts, professors from prestig- ious universities from all over the world, in order to discuss on this under-explored contemporary topic. The diverse approaches to the Symposium’s main theme were illustrated through the presentation of a series of thoughtful papers. The Symposium begun with an opening speech by Charalampos (Haris) Pampouk- is 3 under the title “The Future of Global Law: Some Introductory Reflections” , in- cluded in this volume, in an attempt to set the tone for the discussions that are about to follow. The first panel, under the title “Global Law and Global Governance”, aimed to en- courage broader reflections. With his paper on “ History and Genealogies in Glob- al law” Nikitas Hatzimihail 4 invited the audience to take a historical perspective in defining Global Law but also to be mindful of the “genealogical” uses of histo- 2. The papers are published in the way the authors submitted them, respecting the personal format, editing norms and style of footnotes that every author prefered to use. 3. Professor of Private International Law, Faculty of Law, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens. 4. Associate Professor of Private Law and Legal History, Department of Law, University of Cyprus.