曇花一現的國際法會成立於1912年秋天，其創立歸功於陸徵祥的理念與張謇的熱誠。這個學會的成立初衷是推動國際法，並且幫助中國準備第三次海牙保和會。保和會原訂1915年召開，卻因第一次世界大戰的爆發而取消。為使中國進一步文明化而與西方國家比肩而立，這個學會也企圖移植、督促中國接受威斯特伐利亞國際法體系背後語境、思想觀念、以及行為規範等等。然而，其創始會員並非學有專精的國際法學家，在知識上有侷限性，且在政治上傾向進步黨。國際法會混淆專業化與文明化目標，無法達到陸徵祥的期待。虎頭蛇尾，不了了之。探討這次不成功的嘗試促使我們重新思考從晚清到民國的國際法發展之延續和轉折。

The short-lived International Law Association was founded in autumn 1912. Its birth was indebted to Lu Zhengxiang’s idealism and Zhang Jian’s wholeheartedness. The original intention was to promote international law and prepare for the Third Hague Peace Conference that was scheduled for1915 but cancelled due to the outbreak of the First World War. The association also had an ambition to transplant the discourses, ideas, and behaviour codes that were regarded to comply with the West phalian international law system, so that China could be seen “civilized” on a par with its Western counterparts. The founding members, however, were by no means experts of international law. Their knowledge was insufficient from the perspective of disciplinary professionalism. Politically, they were inclined to the Progressive Party (Jinbu dang). The International Law Association failed to distinguish its professional goal from a civilizing mission; as a result, it could barely accomplish what Lu Zhengxiang expected. It had a remarkable start but vanished in silence with no substantial achievement. A discussion of such an unsuccessful attempt urges us to rethink the continuity and changes in the development of international law from late Qing to the Republican era.