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Bridge over Troubled Water – A Semantic Approach to Purposes and Goals in International Criminal Justice
In: International Criminal Law ReviewInternational tribunals are both legal and political institutions and their list of goals is manifold. Hard cases carry an inflated reference to ‘purposes’ and ‘goals’ of these institutions – despite the herculean task of achieving these goals, the inherent tension between them and the lack of a ranking order. This article borrows from studies of both the politics of organisational decision-making and language philosophy to determine the meaning of ‘purpose’ and ‘goal’. Against the common understanding that uses both terms interchangeably, a distinction between ‘purpose’ and ‘goal’ goes beyond a mere semantic description and can actually offer a classification that might be used as a coarse screen to separate ‘core goals’ from other goals, provide a weak ranking order and relativise the alleged obligation to achieve these goals.
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| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 434 | 36 | 1 |
| Full Text Views | 109 | 7 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 103 | 14 | 0 |
Bridge over Troubled Water – A Semantic Approach to Purposes and Goals in International Criminal Justice
In: International Criminal Law ReviewInternational tribunals are both legal and political institutions and their list of goals is manifold. Hard cases carry an inflated reference to ‘purposes’ and ‘goals’ of these institutions – despite the herculean task of achieving these goals, the inherent tension between them and the lack of a ranking order. This article borrows from studies of both the politics of organisational decision-making and language philosophy to determine the meaning of ‘purpose’ and ‘goal’. Against the common understanding that uses both terms interchangeably, a distinction between ‘purpose’ and ‘goal’ goes beyond a mere semantic description and can actually offer a classification that might be used as a coarse screen to separate ‘core goals’ from other goals, provide a weak ranking order and relativise the alleged obligation to achieve these goals.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 434 | 36 | 1 |
| Full Text Views | 109 | 7 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 103 | 14 | 0 |