'An original and compelling philosophical account of the international law of state creation. Modern states are never fully just and are often illegitimate. Yet most states play an important role in the political lives of their people, serving as fora and foci of political action. Green shows how the law of state creation can be rationally reconstructed as reflecting and protecting the value of political community, offering a powerful new perspective on longstanding debates. The declaratory and constitutive theories of recognition, the vague but central criterion of effective government, and the invalidity of state creation through aggression are cast in a powerful new light. Green cuts no corners, and skips no steps, building his argument from the foundations of personal ethics and political morality to the heights of international legal theory. An outstanding new book that will draw and inspire readers across disciplines, and make an immediate contribution to the blossoming field of international legal philosophy.' Adil Haque, Professor of Law, Rutgers Law School.