Anarchy, Order and Power in World Politics: A Comparative Analysis

Providing an analysis of social order and international politics - not merely on their own or only in relation to one another, but also vis-a-vis social disorder and domestic politics - this book compares international and domestic anarchy. Following an introductory chapter, Chapter 2 gives a brief review of the literature on the assumption of "anarchy" in international relations. It could also be considered as a preliminary critique of this assumption. There is a continuation of this discussion in Chapter 3 but with an emphasis on "order" rather than anarchy. The dynamics of domestic anarchy are discussed in the following chapter. In Chapter 4 the assumption of international anarchy is placed within the broader theoretical framework and is scrutinized in light of the features and functions of a scientific theory and the implications of this are then related to the theories of international relations. Chapters 6 and 7 are case studies in which specific issues pertaining to Japan's foreign policy are discussed in the context of the transformation of power in world politics. The final chapter speculates about the future in line with the major questions raised and the arguments advanced in the preceding chapters.