Monarchy has been a universal form of government in earlier centuries, though it involves the structural problem of all decision-making stemming from one individual. Qiu Jun did not challenge the legitimacy of monarchy, but he constructed advice that would encourage his monarch to be alert to change, cautious about his decisons, and attentive to the advice of his best ministers. This chapter also considers the critique of monarchy in Europe at this time, where the Jesuits presented Ming China as an ideal monarchy, and the growing challenge to the divine right of kings, which would eventually lead to the delegitimization of this form of government.

Chapter 20 reflects on the evolving landscape of climate litigation, circling back to some of the insights emerging from the Handbook’s various chapters, and speculates on its future trajectory. The editors begin by underscoring the remarkable progress that has been made in climate litigation, highlighting the significant role it has played in shaping legal responses to the climate crisis. They emphasise that the journey of climate litigation is far from over and that the field is poised for continued advancements and innovations. In particular, the editors shine a light on new frontiers for strategic litigation, including loss and damage cases that promote climate justice and considerations of ethics, fairness, and equity; claims against private polluters, particularly major corporate greenhouse gas emitters; more diverse litigation against governments that target the insufficient ambition, inadequate implementation, and lack of transparency in climate policies; litigation defending biodiversity through a climate lens; and inter-State climate lawsuits.

This chapter focuses on two other key elements of the global financial crime regime beyond AML rules, namely CTF and targeted financial sanctions, and the challenges that they present. In particular, it discusses the shift from excluding criminal funds towards excluding specified persons themselves – be that designated terrorists or otherwise sanctioned persons – from the legitimate economy. The chapter first discusses the history of CTF measures and targeted sanctions. Then, it considers the challenges presented by targeted exclusion, which arise in the context of CTF as well as being inherent to the operation of targeted financial sanctions. Finally, the chapter parses out the difficult case of coerced payments, including criminal ransoms, terrorist ransoms and ransomware payouts.

This chapter analyses domestic practices associated with childbirth. It considers how urban households approached and framed childbirth as an event of religious significance, by examining prayers that were said before, during, and after the event of childbirth, as well as ritual attempts to demarcate the setting of birth or the lying-in chamber from the rest of the home. Through an examination of the ecclesiastical licensing of London midwives, it explores post-Reformation attempts to regulate the female domestic event of childbirth, amid fears that it could be associated with ‘Popish’ or superstitious practices, and concerns that Catholic midwives, if operating undetected, would attempt to perform clandestine Catholic baptism. By considering personal writing and Quaker and Jewish congregational birth records, it examines the faith of midwives and invited gossips, situating the lying-in room within the broader parish or religious community, and showing how those invited into the home could be representatives of the congregation beyond its walls. It shows that such occasions emphasisied women’s relative authority both within and outside their own households.

In this chapter, I argue that a comprehensive picture of Platonic autonomy must be balanced by attention to mutual interdependence and the ways that ideas arise through interpersonal dialogue. Philosophical ideas arise in a social context, and to this degree, even ideas that are now ‘my own’ have come to be mine in part through the reasoning of other persons. Moreover, as a result of human fallibility, even the fully developed Platonic philosopher still requires conversational partners to both learn and to test out ideas. Rather than overvaluing self-sufficiency, a philosophical life includes being open to challenges to one’s ideas, tolerating a state of not knowing fully, and learning that one needs others due to the limits of individual reasoners.

Chapter 14 on Intergenerational Equity sheds light on how this principle, which posits a responsibility to ensure that future generations inherit a habitable planet, has been invoked in climate cases to date. The authors examine how this principle has been interpreted and applied across different jurisdictions, highlighting the notable contributions of jurisprudence from the Global South in shaping the development and understanding of the principle. Through an examination of leading cases from around the world, they illuminate how courts in these jurisdictions have infused their decisions with a consideration for future generations, thereby advancing a more inclusive and long-term perspective on climate justice. The authors distil instances of emerging best practice where the principle of intergenerational equity has been invoked to guide legal reasoning and judicial decisions in climate cases. They underscore the potential of this principle to shape future climate litigation, particularly as the impacts of climate change increasingly span across generations.

This chapter explores ivory production and craftsmanship in Late Antiquity, examining its material properties, artistic significance and sociopolitical functions to trace the evolution of ivory carving from the fourth to the sixth century. From a technical perspective, the chapter argues that late antique ivory carving was not a rupture from earlier traditions but rather a continuation with distinctive adaptations. In terms of provenance, it highlights the importance of elephant ivory, particularly from North and East Africa, prized for its durability and aesthetic appeal. Ivory was widely used in diplomatic gifts, religious artefacts and luxury objects, including consular diptychs, book covers, furniture inlays and pyxides. The discussion also addresses the role of ivory in elite gift-giving and political symbolism, emphasising how consular diptychs functioned as commemorative objects that reinforced civic and imperial identity. Additionally, the chapter examines economic and geopolitical disruptions, particularly the Byzantine–Sasanian wars and the rise of Islam, which altered ivory trade routes and contributed to the decline of large-scale production. Despite these challenges, this study documents how ivory carving remained a vital artistic tradition, reflecting the adaptability of late antique artisans and the evolving cultural landscape of the period.