Balance of Power has been a point of interest for international relations scholars for decades, and the exact definition of the word has now become misconstrued and difficult to pin point because of the myriad of ways it has been interpreted. Ernst Haas in his discourse explains how balance of power can be categorized into two: the applied meaning and the verbal meaning which is further sub divided into eight definitions. By using different scholars, Haas has tried to challenge the stereotypical definition of balance of power, and by doing so expounds the word and highlights how completely different understandings of the word are all circumscribed into one definition. Even though the word has been aptly described by Stubbs as being "the principle which gives unity to the political plot of European History," the way we understand this concept differs according to which definition we accept. What really stood out was how international politics can be understood as the 'distribution of power' and this is something that constitutes and defines the balance of power.
Balance of Power is a concept that is pivotal to understand how the primacy of power is the key to understand how the states interact with each other. The distribution of power can also be applied to how the domestic politics of a state are also shaped. If we look at the example of the French Revolution, it was essentially because of the shift in the power within the social strata that there was a transformation in the political and social spheres. When the monopoly over violence shifted to the Sans Cullottes and the National Assembly there was a change in the power dynamics. Hence, the way the power was distributed changed and hence there was a change in the society. The way civil wars and internal conflicts have panned out are analogous to Haas's definition of 'balance of power.'
Looking past the domestic realm of politics, if the definition of the distribution of power is applied to the international arena we see that the World Wars, more specifically the Second World War was due to the moral agitation that was caused because of the expansion of Hitlers regime and the fear that there would be a hegemony of Germany in eastern Europe.
It was interesting to see Haas explain the multi dimensional understanding of the balance of power and how it is difficult to circumscribe to a particular definition.
Balance of Power is a concept that is pivotal to understand how the primacy of power is the key to understand how the states interact with each other. The distribution of power can also be applied to how the domestic politics of a state are also shaped. If we look at the example of the French Revolution, it was essentially because of the shift in the power within the social strata that there was a transformation in the political and social spheres. When the monopoly over violence shifted to the Sans Cullottes and the National Assembly there was a change in the power dynamics. Hence, the way the power was distributed changed and hence there was a change in the society. The way civil wars and internal conflicts have panned out are analogous to Haas's definition of 'balance of power.'
Looking past the domestic realm of politics, if the definition of the distribution of power is applied to the international arena we see that the World Wars, more specifically the Second World War was due to the moral agitation that was caused because of the expansion of Hitlers regime and the fear that there would be a hegemony of Germany in eastern Europe.
It was interesting to see Haas explain the multi dimensional understanding of the balance of power and how it is difficult to circumscribe to a particular definition.
The author identifies the balance of power with "realpolitik" that Haas identifies as the power politics of the states. She is correct in arguing that the power politics has become an end in itself in lieu of becoming a means to self-preservation by the states.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is no specific definition for the balance of power and this is why Haas's piece is a useful contribution to our understanding of the concept. Good job engaging with the piece!
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is no specific definition for the balance of power and this is why Haas's piece is a useful contribution to our understanding of the concept. Good job engaging with the piece!
ReplyDelete