Diplomacy does not take place simply between states but wherever people live in different groups. Paul Sharp argues that the demand for diplomacy, and the need for the insights of diplomatic theory, are on the rise. In contrast to conventional texts which use international relations theories to make sense of what diplomacy and diplomats do, this book explores what diplomacy and diplomats can contribute to the big theoretical and practical debates in international relations today. Sharp identifies a diplomatic tradition of international thought premised on the way people live in groups, the differences between intra- and inter-group relations, and the perspectives which those who handle inter-group relations develop about the sorts of international disputes which occur. He argues that the lessons of diplomacy are that we should be reluctant to judge, ready to appease, and alert to the partial grounds on which most universal claims about human beings are made.
Author(s): Paul Sharp
Series: Cambridge Studies in International Relations
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 359
Half-title......Page 3
Series-title......Page 5
Title......Page 7
Copyright......Page 8
Dedication......Page 9
Contents......Page 11
Acknowledgements......Page 13
Introduction......Page 15
Theory and international relations......Page 18
Outline of the argument......Page 21
Part I Traditions of international thought and the disappointments of diplomacy......Page 29
1 Diplomacy and diplomats in the radical tradition......Page 31
Diplomacy and diplomats as the enemy......Page 33
The radical tradition, revolutionary diplomacy and the problems of accommodation and co-option......Page 36
The radical tradition, revolutionary diplomacy and the idea of subversion......Page 43
The radical tradition and diplomats as revolutionaries......Page 47
2 Diplomacy and diplomats in the rational tradition......Page 53
The rational tradition and the growth of reason and reasonableness......Page 54
Civilizing diplomats and rational cooperation......Page 56
Civilizing diplomats and international societies of reasonableness......Page 57
Civilizing diplomats, world society and individual freedom......Page 59
Diplomatic irrationality and unreasonableness......Page 62
3 Diplomacy and diplomats in the realist tradition......Page 67
Diplomacy in systemic and statist conceptions of power politics......Page 68
Diplomats in individual-based accounts of power politics......Page 72
Personal power and diplomats' symbolic role......Page 73
Personal power and diplomats' interactions with colleagues......Page 75
Personal power and diplomats' roles as advisors to their sovereigns......Page 79
The disappointments of diplomacy......Page 83
Part II Elements of a diplomatic tradition of international thought......Page 87
4 The diplomatic tradition: Conditions and relations of separateness......Page 89
Diplomacy as mediation......Page 90
Human relations as diplomacy......Page 93
Diplomacy’s own terms I: conditions of separateness......Page 95
Diplomacy’s own terms II: relations of separateness......Page 98
Practical and moral problems regarding relations of separateness......Page 100
Relations of separateness from within the diplomatic tradition......Page 103
The emergence of diplomacy within the diplomatic tradition......Page 107
The emergence of diplomats in the diplomatic tradition......Page 110
Why diplomacy gives rise to diplomats I: the subjective articulation of diplomats as strangers......Page 113
Why diplomacy gives rise to diplomats II: the objective articulation of diplomats between worlds......Page 115
Diplomats and diplomatic understandings of international systems, societies and communities......Page 119
Part III Diplomatic understanding and international societies......Page 125
International systems, societies and communities......Page 127
Mapping international societies......Page 129
The dangers and difficulties revealed by mapping international societies......Page 132
7 Integration-disintegration......Page 137
Integration-disintegration and encounter relations......Page 141
Integration-disintegration and discovery relations......Page 145
Integration-disintegration and re-encounter relations......Page 150
Disintegration of international societies......Page 156
Integration, disintegration and separateness......Page 159
8 Expansion-contraction......Page 163
Expansion-contraction and encounter relations......Page 165
Expansion-contraction and discovery relations......Page 167
European expansion and diplomacy......Page 171
Expansion-contraction and re-encounter relations......Page 174
Re-encounter relations and vertical diplomacy......Page 177
From la raison de système to la raison des systèmes......Page 181
9 Concentration–diffusion......Page 183
Concentration-diffusion and encounter relations......Page 187
Concentration-diffusion and discovery relations......Page 189
Diplomats and the discovery of shifts in the distribution of power......Page 196
Concentration-diffusion and re-encounter relations......Page 199
Political power, diplomatic talk and other people's problems......Page 204
Part IV Thinking diplomatically about international issues......Page 207
10 Rogue state diplomacy......Page 209
History, International Relations and the idea of rogue states......Page 210
Diplomats, civility and the identification of rogue states......Page 218
How do rogue states exist for diplomats and diplomacy?......Page 221
How is rogue state diplomacy to be conducted?......Page 225
Governments and diplomats......Page 226
Talking for talk's sake......Page 228
Rogue state diplomacy as a holding operation......Page 232
11 Greedy company diplomacy......Page 236
International economic issues as diplomatic issues......Page 242
Economic actors as diplomatic actors......Page 248
Mixed societies and the diplomacy of less greedy companies......Page 252
12 Crazy religion diplomacy......Page 257
Westphalia, modern diplomatic thinking and the problem of religion......Page 258
Religion, religions and crazy religion......Page 261
Encounters and discoveries between faith-based powers: the diplomatic thinking of early Islam......Page 264
Beyond discovery to re-encounters: the difficulties of diplomacy between faith-based powers......Page 269
From "boxing and taming" to "exile and promotion"......Page 272
13 Dumb public diplomacy......Page 280
Modern diplomacy and the traditionalist critique of public diplomacy......Page 284
Problems with the traditionalist critique......Page 286
Diplomatic thinking and public diplomacy......Page 289
The failures of public diplomacy......Page 293
Diplomatic thinking and commercial public diplomacy......Page 295
Diplomatic thinking and public diplomacy with the Muslim world......Page 298
Diplomatic thinking and improving public diplomacy......Page 300
Becoming diplomatic......Page 304
Conclusion......Page 307
Diplomatic theory and the balance of virtue and right......Page 310
Diplomatic theory and appeasement......Page 314
Diplomatic theory and human solidarity......Page 319
Bibliography......Page 326
Index......Page 348
