Diplomacy in a Post Cold-War World

Abstract

Abstract : This paper examines the art of diplomacy as an instrument of national power and its relevance in a national security strategy for the post-Cold War world. This is a tall order given that there is little consensus on how to best describe the current international environment, nor agreement on what the objectives of the U.S. national security strategy should be, or even consensus on the relative value of the traditional elements of national power. To proceed, a conceptual framework is needed to help navigate the intellectual shoals of a debate in progress. The author borrows from the German philosopher Hegel for this framework and applies the tool of the dialectic (the clash of contradictory ideas) to examine diplomacy in the context of Realism and Idealism. This method offers an opportunity to sort through the facts bearing on the subject and compare theory with the actual practice of statecraft.