The Evolution of International society
John Baylis
Chapter – 2
Table of Contents
Introduction: the idea of international society
- There are different ways to characterize the overall structure and pattern of relations among distinct political communities.
- At one extreme, there could be an unrestrained struggle of all against all, with war, conquest, and the slaughter or enslavement of the defeated as the only forms of contact.
- The other extreme could be a world government where individual societies retain distinctions based on features like language, culture, or religion, but their political and legal independence is minimal, similar to that of the constituent parts of the USA.
- Between these extremes, there are various forms of interaction, from empires (loosely or tightly organized, centralized or decentralized) to international systems based on the sovereignty of individual units, with hierarchical orders in between.
- The term international society can be applied broadly to any interaction governed by common rules and practices, but it has come to refer more narrowly to the historical emergence of the European state system.
- The European state system was founded on the principles of sovereignty and non-intervention, marking out the members of the ‘family of nations’ from those outside.
- Within this system, relations were governed by sovereign equality, non-intervention, and international law; outside it, societies deemed uncivilized could be subject to domination or control.
- The international society approach, or the English School of International Relations, is rooted in the ideas of figures like Grotius and was advanced by Hedley Bull.
- Bull’s theory begins with the premise that states are in a condition of international anarchy (absence of government), similar to Waltz’s view of power struggles being constrained by a balance of power.
- Unlike Waltz, Bull argues that order in world politics can also derive from the existence of an international society.
- Historical examples of international societies shared a common culture (linguistic, ethical, religious, artistic) that enabled communication and mutual understanding, fostering common rules and institutions.
- The English School and its historical narrative have been criticized for legitimizing an oppressive and exploitative colonial order.
- The notion of a Christian international society justified European seizure of land from indigenous peoples and was used to rationalize nineteenth-century imperialism.
- The ‘standard of civilization’ was used to justify the unequal treatment of nations like China and the Ottoman Empire.
- Critics argue that terms like the international community mask the dominance of great powers.
- Despite these criticisms, a nuanced understanding of international society offers valuable insights into world politics.
- The interactions among states and other international actors can be fully understood only by appreciating the larger context in which they occur.
- Different perspectives can interpret the larger context, such as emphasizing the world economic structure(development of capitalism), power relativities (balance of power among states), or the clash of ideas (modernity versus reaction).
- While transitions are driven by deep economic, power-political, or cultural factors, human agency plays a key role in shaping the norms, rules, and institutions governing international relations.
- The term international society represents the overall structure constituted by these norms, rules, and institutions, and has been present throughout world history in different forms.