This will be the third chapter in a forthcoming book on the Rule of Law, Economic Development, and Corporate Governance. The first chapter will introduce the book's themes and theses, the second (already on SSRN) gives the history of the development of the English concept of the Rule of Law, and this chapter discusses the development of the similar civil law concept, the Rule through law, otherwise known as Rechtsstaat.

Authors Costa and Zolo share the conviction that a proper understanding of the rule of law today requires reference to a global problematic horizon. This book offers some relevant guides for orienting the reader through a political and legal debate where the rule of law (and the doctrine of human rights) is a concept both controversial and significant at the national and international levels.