This week marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of American philosopher John Dewy. Although not terrible relevant to international law per se, Dewey’s contribution to philosophy stretches a wide range of areas relevant to the law. Of interest to international lawyers would be Dewey’s work on democracy emphasising the deliberative role of individuals (not in a strictly liberal sense) rather than institutions. In addition, Dewey’s work on pragmatism as a philosophical discipline remains very valid today as pragmatism is experiencing a comeback. For teachers of law, Dewey’s work on education and epistemology (or inquiry) ought to be of interest. Finally,…