Dr Ali Hammoudi (Postdoctoral Fellow, National University of Singapore) talks to Dr Ntina Tzouvala (Senior Lecturer, Australian National University) about her newly published book on 'Capitalism as Civilisation: A History of International' (Cambridge University Press, 2020). Ntina's book is highly praised as timely intervention in the history and theory of international law. Her book explores the dynamics between capitalism, international law, and imperialism. She argues that the standard of civilisation in international law should be approached as a historically contingent structure which reflects the contradictions inherent in a capitalist modernity. The same standard of civilisation has been used to legitimize imperialism, and further the capitalist mode of production. She illustrates how the standard of civilisation emerged in the 19th century and how it persisted throughout the history of international law from the mandate system to the present day with the so-called war on terror.