Scores of Enlightenment authors responded to the challenge of establishing a peaceful international order. Their proposed solutions took one of two basic forms: first, a political strategy, which called on states to form an international federation, engage in arbitration to settle disputes, and apply sanctions (including, when necessary, collective military force) to uphold the federation's decisions; second, a legal strategy, which sought to bring all states under one universal legal order in order to bring war itself within the bounds of law. This chapter examines and evaluates some central Enlightenment examples of each of these two strategies.
Keywords: Enlightenment, international order, federation, peace, legal strategy