Will the world ever be able to evolve past anarchy? Are we as human beings capable of fundamental change within the international environment? Many would argue no and many would also argue that yes, the world can change. However, the answer still remains to be seen. Or does it?
In the history of humanity, we have fundamentally changed many aspects of the international realm. The introduction of sovereignty, the introduction of international organizations and then non-governmental organizations are all examples of this, but as human beings it is nearly impossible to imagine this kind of change in the future. This week, Sam posted a link to a TED talk on the class wall which highlights this point exactly. Why is this though?
In our class debate on the subject, the CON group pointed out that the world changes incrementally, not fundamentally. Well, this might be true. Yet, does fundamental change not require possibly multiple incremental changes? The changes we have already seen in the international realm did not occur overnight. Looking back we see huge leaps and bounds, but in the moment those changes happened at a snail's pace from the perspective of contemporary society. It was even said that those changes would never work.
Indeed the League of Nations failed to fundamentally change anything, which is evident by the start of World War II. However, once the world powers tried once again and formed the United Nations. This is where I think the debate gets sticky. Many would say the United Nations has failed as well and many would say it is making progress...
The answer to the questions of whether or not the international environment can be remade cannot be answered until the question of "what does the international environment currently look like?" is determined. Additionally, according to Professor Jackson, the theory of personhood affects the way we think change occurs. The issue is that we may not agree on the current state of the fundamental international environment and its actors.
Maybe the focus on international institutions is not even the "fundamental" shift we should focusing on. Perhaps whatever tool might be used to change the environment has yet to be seen. Innovation is not dead, we are not done growing and history is not over. Though, according to the TED talk mentioned earlier, this is a common mindset of human beings.
Whether or not it is good or bad for the world, it will change all the way until the day it ends. Incremental shifts add up to fundamental changes in the environment after time, and when we look back it is easier to see than when we look forward. The way in which human beings interpret the world around them will determine the direction the changes will take.
Some good points here. One of the reasons people may not think the international environment can change is simply because they can't imagine what it would look like (Jackson touches on it in lecture). Like you say, history is easy to look back on and analyze but no one can predict what's going to be seen in the future. Maybe some event or new technology will inspire a huge change in the future international environment. We will have to wait to find out.
ReplyDeleteOne of the key reasons scholars point to the importance of the League of Nations is the creation of a body of people who were international civil servants; people who created a sense of community as international civil servants, not official representatives of their home country. Here is where personhood as individuals links to states and international organizations. I'm not sure entirely what to make of this, but it is a key point in this discussion.
ReplyDeleteTaylor, this is true, I am sure if you asked someone 50 years ago they couldn't imagine what the international environment would look like today either. Technology can change things, environmental changes can alter things, states failing or splitting into multiple states can affect the international realm. There are multiple things that could incrementally change our environment. In 100 years I think they will find out international environment did in fact change. It is so hard to predict what it will look like and what will cause it to change. I agree with you, looking back it is easier to see what these changes were than looking forward since you cannot predict what will happen.
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