Sacred Rhetoric and the Legitimacy of Unrecognized States

Abstract

Within the contested portions of the world map lie unrecognized states in which legitimate political institutions, public services, and ranging levels of democracy exist. However, they struggle to achieve the external sovereignty needed in order to achieve widespread recognition, gain membership into international organizations, and fully participate in the international system. With these goals in mind, unrecognized states have found themselves in a certain purgatory within the international system. Therefore they rely on absolutist or sacred rhetoric in order to defend and set boundaries regarding their claims of sovereignty, their nation-building efforts, and the identification of their enemies. As unrecognized states find themselves situated in the midst of international conflict, it is in their sacred rhetoric where we can elucidate a deeper understanding of these conflict’s origins and developments.