James M. Cooper

State of the nation: therapeutic jurisprudence and the evolution of the right of self‐determination in international law

This article expands the scope of the therapeutic jurisprudence enterprise and applies the concept at a collective global level. The right of self-determination, arguably the most important and certainly the most controversial part of international law, is examined through the lens of therapeutic jurisprudence. By detailing the manner in which nations move towards their goal of statehood, this article opens up dialogue about collective healing, shared memory and alternative approaches to autonomy. The article poses the question of whether groups of people can share in common delusions, forms of folie a gens.