Recalcitrant Materialities of a Liminal Ocean: Deconstructing the ‘Arctic Nomos’

Published in 1950, Carl Schmitt’s Nomos of the Earth has been one most influential contributions legal theory, illustrating inter alia territorial conceptualization Eurocentric global order. While Earth’s nomos largely hinged on constructed ontology a land-sea dichotomy and appropriation division space through establishment sovereignty upon it, this article contends that particular geomorphology Arctic seascape, multiscalar dynamics politics, rapid pace change region render spatial order rather intricate may challenge existing application state sovereignty. After critically deconstructing process territorialization Ocean, delves into three conceptual challenges – ontological, epistemological, technological respectively pertinent to juridical imaginary ‘Arctic ’ engraved by sovereignty, seeks expose limits regime place.