Abstract

The article focuses on some of the issues raised by Palombella's work on the rule of law and addresses some fundamental questions. What is the historical and theoretical account of the rule of law in the Western tradition? What is the difference between the rule of law and the rule by law? What does it mean that the rule of law is "an institutional ideal concerning the law", as stressed by Palombella? What is its role on the global stage, and in the context of global governance?