Geopolitics and International Diplomacy_Moral and Ethics

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Geopolitics and International Diplomacy:

Moral and EthicsJusufbegovi Safet5/1/2012

Professor: Selmo Cikotid

American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina


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Part One

From the creation of first harmonized society, to the very era of postmodernism,

throughout history, human kind has been constantly witnessing various types of social and

political dynamics, unimaginable number of movements, actions and reactions, who,

consequently, invoked large number of different outcomes and results. Societies majorly

tended to be progressive and modern; however, oftentimes there have been serious

derogations from that principle, largely due to ignorance and unawareness of the population

an their leaers, which mae Ciceros Historia magistra vitae est1 very untrue, in specific

circumstances, and socio-economical transitions as well.

In order to demonstrate the objective of this paper, certain basic terms have to be

defined in a way that will make them vernacular and clear to the reader. Geopolitics is a term,

rooted in the society of ancient Greece, which represents a theory (social science) with a

primary task to analyze and observe, as well as define the relations of internal and external

politics and territory or physical space. It comprises the art and practice of analyzing,

prescribing, forecasting, and the using of political power, over a specified territory.2

Furthermore, international diplomacy is a term derived from Greek also, that represents the art

and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups and states.3

Mentioned terms are constantly overlapping, and it is hard to imagine one in the

absence of another. Michael Loewe and his assistants, claim that the known beginnings of the

application of geopolitics combined with international diplomacy, reach as far as to 6th

century

strategist, Sun Tzu.4

Sun Tzu, who is considered as one of the leading military strategists of all

times, and oftentimes, as a creative diplomat as well, had been using geopolitics and diplomacy

with a remarkable set of skills, with some of them being briefly described and observed in his

1Marcus Tullius Cicero, "De Oratore,written in 55 BCE.

2Oyvind Osterud, "The Uses and Abuses of Geopolitics," Journal of Peace Research, no. 2, 1988, p. 192.

3Ronald Peter Barston, Modern diplomacy, Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1

4 Loewe, Michael; Shaughnessy, Edward L., eds. (1999). The Cambridge history of ancient China: from the origins

of civilization to 221 B.C.. Cambridge University Press. p. 587.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_loewe&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_L._Shaughnessyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Cambridge_history_of_ancient_China&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Cambridge_history_of_ancient_China&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Cambridge_history_of_ancient_China&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_L._Shaughnessyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_loewe&action=edit&redlink=1


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book The Art of War5. In Europe, for what has been known, diplomacy begins with the first city-

states (polis), formed in ancient Greece. Diplomats were sent only for specific negotiations, and

would return immediately after their mission concluded. Diplomats were usually relatives of

the ruling family or of very high rank in order to give them legitimacy when they sought to

negotiate with the other state. The origins of diplomacy are in the strategic and competitive

exchange of impressive gifts, which may be traced to the Bronze Age and recognized as an

aspect of Homeric guest-friendship.6

Geopolitics and international diplomacy have been given major relevance in most of

harmonized and progressive societies, throughout the world. Their task of preserving national

interests, an gaining other nations utilities will, almost certainly, never fade. It is impossible to

observe worls history of iplomacy without mentioning the significant rise of mercantilism7 in

early modern Europe. In that particular period of time, mercantilism represented the norm for

many governments, the core of idea of competition. However, mercantilism served as a

strategic preamble to a method of exploitation that very much shaped political borders even to

this very day; colonialism.8

The rise of new or reincarnation of Classical ideas and thoughts

during the period of Renaissance, affected colonialism and its methods of exploitation on a very

large scale. It is a well-known fact that the diplomacy, including geopolitics and certain

ideologies, had not always reflected the righteous, most honest, fair, moral, diligent, human,

and ethical principles. On contrary, human kind witnessed derogations from these principles

even more often than their very application. An enormously significant character in the

diplomatic world, who revolutionized the ways and manners of thinking and planning, is a man

5Composed of 13 chapters, each of which is devoted to one aspect of warfare. It is said to be the definitive work

on military strategies and tactics of its time, and is still read for its military insight.6

M.I. Finley, The World of Odysseus(1954; 1978) ch. "Wealth and Labour"; on archaic gift-giving in general,

Marcel Mauss, Ian Cunnison, tr. The Gift, 1954.7Mercantilism, The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. Economic doctrine in which government control

of foreign trade is of paramount importance for ensuring the prosperity and military security of the state. In

particular, it demands a positive balance of trade. Mercantilism dominated Western European economic policy and

discourse from the 16th to late-18th centuries.8

The establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another

territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony, and the social

structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by colonizers from the metropole. Colonialism is

a set of unequal relationships between the metropole and the colony and between the colonists and

the indigenous population. "Colonialism".Merriam-Webbster. Merriam-Webster. 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonialismhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonialismhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonialismhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonialismhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonialism


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called Niccolo Machiavelli. Machiavelli had been largely criticized by his Renaissance

contemporaries for expressing contradict political theories, which walked a thin line of

righteousness and moral. His ideas had major effect on the vast majority of political leaders,

since the period of Renaissance, until this very day. Mentioning of Machiavelli should be

considered as a climax of this paper work, which provided a course towards its purpose;

observation of geopolitics and international diplomacy in perspective of moral and ethical

standards.

Part Two

In Machiavellis masterpiece book The Prince, written in 1513, chapter 18 states:

A prince never lacks legitimate reasons to break his promise. Everyone sees

what you appear to be, few really know what you are, and those few dare

not oppose themselves to the opinion of the many, who have the majesty

of the state to defend them. You must know there are two ways of

contesting, the one by the law, the other by force; the first method is

proper to men, the second to beasts; but because the first is frequently not

sufficient, it is necessary to have recourse to the second.

His works are said to have contributed to the modern negative connotations of the

words politics and politician9, and it is sometimes thought that it is because of him that Old

Nickbecame an English term for the Devil10

.The adjective Machiavellian became a pejorative

term describing someone who aims to deceive and manipulate others for personal advantage.

It is obvious that Machiavelli set or underlined the diplomatic methods that are still in use

today. The rumors regarding 20th

century politicians and dictators (Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin),

studying and analyzing Machiavelli, do not seem to be far from the truth.

By the end of 19th

century, preconditions and ideologies along with constant

derogations from the principles of morality and ethics in the world of politics, constituted an

9Bireley, Robert (1990), The Counter Reformation Prince, p.14

10Fischer, Markus. "Machiavelli's Political Psychology,"The Review of Politics, Vol. 59, No. 4 (Autumn, 1997),

pp. 789829


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appropriate atmosphere necessary for the rise of Social Darwinism11

. Although this ideology

majorly regards the issue of classicism, it certainly deserves to be mentioned, primarily for the

purpose of demonstration how far mentioned derogations from the principles of morality and

ethics can reach. Social Darwinism is generally understood to use the concepts of struggle for

existence and survival of the fittest in orer to justify social policies, which make no distinction

between those able to support themselves, and those who are unable to support themselves.

Many such views stress competition between individuals in laissez-faire12

capitalism; but the

ideology has also motivated ideas of eugenics13

, scientific racism14

, imperialism15

,

fascism16

, Nazism17

, and struggle between national or racial groups.18

Consequently, it is at least

to assume that the ideology of Social Darwinism, directly or indirectly, is responsible for pain

and suffering of millions. Placing capital before human lives is a perfect example of derogations,

ignorance, and vilification of moral and ethical principles.

From the beginning of 20th

century, the trend of not regarding morality as an important

element of international relations, continued. Very frequently, diplomatic themes were being

iscusse behin the close oors, without any transparency. From Bismarcks19

statement

that the outcomes were not determined by 'morality' or principles of 'justice'; they were

determined by power, military force or cunning, over Swiss bankers who participate in

helping and financing Nazis (many of them became philanthropic afterwards), and indirectly

11The name social Darwinism is a modern name given to the various theories of society that emerged in England

and the United States in the 1870s, which, it is alleged, sought to apply biological concepts to sociology and

politics. Riggenbach, Jeff(2011-04-24) The Real William Graham Sumner, Mises Institute.12

In economics, laissez-faire is an environment in which transactions between private parties are free

from state intervention, including regulations, taxes, tariffs and enforced monopolies.13

The "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the

genetic composition of a population", usually referring to the manipulation of human populations. "Eugenics",

Unified Medical Language System (Psychological Index Terms). National Library of Medicine, 26 Sep. 2010.14

The use of scientific techniques and hypotheses to sanction the belief in racial superiority or inferiority. Genoves,

S. (1961). "Racism and the mankind quarterly", Science, 134, 1928-1930, 1932.15 "The creation and/or maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural, and territorial relationship, usually

between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination." S. Gertrude

Millin,Rhodes, London, 1933, p.13816

A radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Larsen, Stein Ugelvik, Bernt Hagtvet and Jan Petter

Myklebust, Who were the Fascists: Social Roots of European Fascism, p. 42417

The ideology of superiority of one nation over every other nation.18

Gregory Claeys (2000). The Survival of the Fittest and the Origins of Social Darwinism.Journal of the History of

Ideas 61 (2):223-240.19

A conservative German statesman who ominate European affairs from 1860s to WWI.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Riggenbachhttp://mises.org/daily/5206/The-Real-William-Graham-Sumnerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mises_Institutehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_sciencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_geneticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._Gertrude_Millinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._Gertrude_Millinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_radicalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarianismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarianismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_radicalismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._Gertrude_Millinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._Gertrude_Millinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Population_geneticshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_movementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applied_sciencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mises_Institutehttp://mises.org/daily/5206/The-Real-William-Graham-Sumnerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Riggenbach


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causing deaths of millions, to innovative methods of financing and providing arms to rebellious

oppositions in the Middle East by the West (proxy wars20

), the terms geopolitics an

international iplomacy must not be allowe even to share the same sentence with the term

honor. One shoul have also be acknowlege of the failure of U.S. an European iplomats

to prevent what would latter occur in the countries of ex-Yugoslavia, at the end of 20th

century.

What must not be forgotten is the fact that, throughout the history, there were many

diplomats who recognized and respected the principles of moral and ethics. An example that

must be mentioned regards the Paris Peace Conference, occurring after the WWII. Astonishing

diplomatic skills presented by Edvard Kardelj21

, Vyacheslav Molotov22

, and Andrey Vyshinsky23

,

revealed and bravely criticized hidden imperialistic motives of the West, efine uner

covering function of contemporary meia (which even toay remains very similar), an

observed fair and logical solutions between winning and losing states. It is a well-established

fact that the ones who hold the power, and the ones who ten to put an en to ones misuse of

it, generally, have very contrasting principles of moral and ethics.

Conclusively, the reader must be aware by now, that the derogations from morality and

ethics in the world of politics are real and constant. It is impossible to name every righteous and

honorable diplomat, and the ones who do not represent mentioned virtues, in a short paper

work such as this one, however, it is possible to transfer ones vision and knowledge, from

which an individual can enlighten himself, and, accordingly, raise his level of awareness,

regarding politics and international relations. Money and capital should not be more valued

than a chils life, by any means. The principles of morality an ethics, as well as unconitional

transparency, should be directly included and regulated, in every significant diplomatic issue.

20A war that results when opposing powers use third parties as substitutes for fighting each other directly.

21 Yugoslav communist political leader and diplomat, economist, partisan, publicist, and full member of the Serbian

Academy of Sciences and Arts.Many question his establishment of workers self-management.22

Soviet politician and diplomat, an Old Bolshevik and a leading figure in the Soviet government from the 1920s,

when he rose to power as a protg ofJoseph Stalin, to 1957, when he was dismissed from the Presidium

(Politburo) of the Central Committee by Nikita Khrushchev.23

Soviet politician, jurist and diplomat. State prosecutor ofJoseph Stalin's Moscow trials and in the Nuremberg

trials. He was the Soviet Foreign Minister from 1949 to 1953, after having served as Deputy Foreign Minister

under Vyacheslav Molotov since 1940. He also headed the Institute of State and Law in the Soviet Academy of

Sciences.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partisans_(Yugoslavia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publicisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_Academy_of_Sciences_and_Artshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_Academy_of_Sciences_and_Artshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politicianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplomacyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Bolshevikhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_the_Soviet_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prot%C3%A9g%C3%A9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_Khrushchevhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politicianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juristhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplomathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procurator_General_of_the_Soviet_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_trialshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_trialshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_trialshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Foreign_Affairs_(Soviet_Union)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vyacheslav_Molotovhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_State_and_Lawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Academy_of_Scienceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Academy_of_Scienceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Academy_of_Scienceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Academy_of_Scienceshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_State_and_Lawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vyacheslav_Molotovhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Foreign_Affairs_(Soviet_Union)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_trialshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg_trialshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscow_trialshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Procurator_General_of_the_Soviet_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplomathttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juristhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politicianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikita_Khrushchevhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Stalinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prot%C3%A9g%C3%A9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_the_Soviet_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Bolshevikhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diplomacyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Politicianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_Academy_of_Sciences_and_Artshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serbian_Academy_of_Sciences_and_Artshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publicisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partisans_(Yugoslavia)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communisthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialist_Yugoslavia


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Works Cited / Bibliography

Marcus Tullius Cicero, "De Oratore,written in 55 BCE.

Oyvind Osterud, "The Uses and Abuses of Geopolitics," Journal of Peace Research, no. 2,

1988, p. 192.

Ronald Peter Barston, Modern diplomacy, Pearson Eucation, 2006, p. 1

Loewe, Michael; Shaughnessy, Edward L., eds. (1999). The Cambridge history of ancient

China: from the origins of civilization to 221 B.C.. Cambridge University Press. p. 587.

M.I. Finley, The World of Odysseus(1954; 1978) ch. "Wealth and Labour"; on archaic

gift-giving in general, Marcel Mauss, Ian Cunnison, tr. The Gift, 1954.

Mercantilism, The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. Web.

"Colonialism".Merriam-Webbster. Merriam-Webster. 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010.

Bireley, Robert (1990), The Counter Reformation Prince, p.14

Fischer, Markus. "Machiavelli's Political Psychology,"The Review of Politics, Vol. 59, No.

4 (Autumn, 1997), pp. 789829

Riggenbach, Jeff(2011-04-24) The Real William Graham Sumner, Mises Institute

"Eugenics", Unified Medical Language System (Psychological Index Terms). National

Library of Medicine, 26 Sep. 2010.

Genoves, S. (1961). "Racism and the mankind quarterly", Science, 134, 1928-1930,

1932.

S. Gertrude Millin,Rhodes, Lonon, 1933, p.138

Larsen, Stein Ugelvik, Bernt Hagtvet and Jan Petter Myklebust, Who were the Fascists:

Social Roots of European Fascism, p. 424

Gregory Claeys (2000). The Survival of the Fittest and the Origins of Social Darwinism.

Journal of the History of Ideas 61 (2):223-240.

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince.written in 1513.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_loewe&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_L._Shaughnessyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Cambridge_history_of_ancient_China&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Cambridge_history_of_ancient_China&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Cambridge_history_of_ancient_China&action=edit&redlink=1http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonialismhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonialismhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonialismhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonialismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Riggenbachhttp://mises.org/daily/5206/The-Real-William-Graham-Sumnerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mises_Institutehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._Gertrude_Millinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._Gertrude_Millinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mises_Institutehttp://mises.org/daily/5206/The-Real-William-Graham-Sumnerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Riggenbachhttp://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/colonialismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Cambridge_history_of_ancient_China&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Cambridge_history_of_ancient_China&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_L._Shaughnessyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_loewe&action=edit&redlink=1

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