Abstract
In 1998, Peter Katzenstein, Robert Keohane, and Stephen Krasner predicted that the debate between rational choice and constructivism would shape the field of international relations for the years to come.1 With some delay, this discussion has also reached international law scholarship. The starting gun came when, a few years ago, Jack Goldsmith and Eric Posner caused a great stir with their rational choice account of The Limits of International Law,2 in which they argued that international law does not have an independent effect on state conduct and should thus not be considered as law. Their analysis has drawn a lot of criticism from different theoretical viewpoints.3 This essay deals with two recent books which try to set out different and more differentiated theories of international law from a rational choice perspective. While Andrew Guzman tries to explain to us How International Law Works,4 Joel Trachtman seeks to uncover The Economic Structure of International Law.5
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