Introduction: Martin Wight on Foreign Policy and Security Strategy
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Abstract
Abstract As a matter of principle, Martin Wight professed a lack of interest in defining practical prescriptions to deal with immediate strategic and foreign policy issues, notably in his lecture “What Is International Relations?” Despite his reputation as a scholar focused on historical and philosophical matters, he articulated noteworthy policy prescriptions in book reviews and scholarly studies on topics such as the balance of power; international order, including neutrality, nationalism, and community; nuclear weapons and international politics; interests, honor, and prestige in statecraft, including that of the British Empire and Commonwealth; disarmament and public opinion; and the United Nations. These writings have been neglected, partly because his perfectionism led him to refrain from publishing many of them. As the collection of works in this volume shows, however, he took distinctive positions on practical policy questions in his publications and in unpublished and obscurely published papers. He raised the question “Does Peace Take Care of Itself?”—as implied by Kantian principles—and concluded that it does not, and that purposeful action will be necessary. He asked, “Has Scientific Advance Changed the Nature of International Politics in Kind, Not Merely in Degree?” and delivered a qualified “no” in reply, in view of the continuing willingness of governments, including rulers of Western societies, to regard defeat in combat as a greater threat than nuclear war. The scope for constructive action via the United Nations is restricted by political and structural constraints, notably the veto held by the five permanent members of the Security Council.