Thesis advisor: S.J., David Hollenbach / This dissertation explores the possible contribution of the Catholic tradition to the current debate in the field of international studies regarding the appropriate role of state sovereignty in global governance. The dissertation addresses the issue from the perspective of ideas, and is divided into three parts. First, it describes how the modern sovereign states system emerged as a result of prior revolutions in ideas about justice and political authority thereby drawing on the work of Daniel Philpott. It then examines the writings of three twentieth-century Catholic writers who treated the issue of sovereignty as part of their reflections on international affairs: Luigi Sturzo, Jacques Maritain, and John Courtney Murray. Finally, the dissertation correlates the work of Sturzo, Maritain, and Murray with a number of contemporary political theorists of cosmopolitan democracy. It argues not only that there are significant similarities between Sturzo, Maritain, and Murray and cosmopolitan theory, but also that the Catholic tradition can complement cosmopolitanism in a helpful manner. Thus the dissertation suggests a way forward for the Catholic tradition with respect to the issue of state sovereignty and global governance, and it provides a challenge to the Catholic community regarding this matter. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.