To compete and thrive in the 21st century, democracies, and the United States in particular, must develop new national security and economic strategies that address the geopolitics of information. In the 20th century, market capitalist democracies geared infrastructure, energy, trade, and even social policy to protect and advance that era’s key source of power—manufacturing. In this century, democracies must better account for information geopolitics across all dimensions of domestic policy and national strategy.
This seminar will present a comparative assessment of Chinese and Russian approaches to the international legal and security architecture stood up by the United States after World War II, beginning with a historical overview of the emergence of the concept of "international law." In both places, early approaches developed in response to rather than alongside European international legal norms. During the Cold War, attempts to promote a joint, socialist legal vision as a counterweight to the U.S.-led order broke down with the Sino-Soviet split. However, distinctive concepts that emerged in this period—for example, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence—persist as direct but little-understood challengers to the current global order.
Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.
For more information, email the International Security Program Assistant at susan_lynch@harvard.edu.