Re-Reading Rousseau in the Post-Cold War World
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3916200 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Torbjorn L Knutsen (0000-0001-5466-832X, Department of Public Affairs, George Mason University & Department of Sociology and Political Science, University of Trondheim, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1994 |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 247-262 |
| Publication date | 1994-08-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Peace Research (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-3433 • E-ISSN: 1460-3578 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0022343394031003002 |
| OpenAlex | W1986631301 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 17 |
While the study of world politics before and during the Cold War was dominated by the competing paradigms of `idealism' and `realism', the post-Cold War world requires different approaches. This essay suggests that Jean-Jacques Rousseau's writings on war and peace may serve as a vantage-point for a paradigm which goes beyond the two orthodox perspectives. It argues that Rousseau is not the unambiguous representative for the `realist' approach that he is so routinely assumed to be. Rousseau developed a unique analysis which accentuates historical change, dialectical paradox and the tendency for interdependence to foster inequality and conflict. This analysis of interstate relations provides a useful starting-point for understanding both the global transformations which are now occurring before our eyes and the many challenges that lie ahead. First, this essay reconstructs from the many scattered pieces which Rousseau wrote about history and world politics a clear and consistent international relations theory. Then, it uses this theory to examine some of the most common assumptions about the nature of the post-Cold War world. It discusses whether the liberal-democratic values of the First World will emerge triumphant in the 21st century; whether the nations of the (former) Second World will experience prosperity and peace; and whether the struggle for liberation and justice in the Third World will finally be crowned with triumph
Cold war · Democracy · Dialectic · Epistemology · Idealism · International relations · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Prosperity · Realism · Sociology · World history · Global Peace and Security Dynamics · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Law · Philosophy · War, Ethics, and Justification
The international politics of amour propre
Triangle or ‘trilemma’
How Network Analysis Can Inform the Study of International Relations
Scriptures, Shrines, Scapegoats, and World Politics
The duty to oppose violence
The Effects of Strategic and Economic Interdependence on International Conflict Across Levels of Analysis
Democracy and Peace
The Reagan Doctrine and the Lessons from the Afghan War
Considérations sur le gouvernement de Pologne
The Wretched of the Earth
Man, the State, and War
Rousseau, Realism and Realpolitik
Rousseau on international relations
The noble savage
Beyond the Reagan Doctrine
Back to the Future
The end of history and the last man
The Theory of International Relations
Territoriality and beyond
The End of the Third World
States and Nations as Challenges to Peace Research
A Structural Theory of Imperialism
Rousseau on War and Peace
| Unique citing works | 7 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,23 |
| Citation span | 1996 - 2021 (26) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 7 |