A Question of Novelty

Abstract

What is really new about the New Diplomacy? The conditions, methods, language, techniques and technologies may appear new and some are; yet the goals of diplomacy are roughly the same as they have always been, and always will be so long as there are disparate states and societies in the world: to serve the sovereign interest and to preserve peace by wise and diligent reporting, representation and mediation across borders. How diplomats have adapted to change, and why the measure of adaptation matters, are the subjects of this small book. It is not meant as a compendium but instead as a coagulant to assist its readers in understanding the complicated and subtle history of modern diplomacy. It first challenges the biases of novelty then follows with an examination of the diplomatic mind not from the perspective of a neuro- or any other scientist but with an inquiry into the artistry of the diplomat, on the one hand, and the exercise of diplomacy, on the other. Preserving peace begins with imagining it. Diplomats—at least the better ones—have the rare ability to blend a spatial imagination (whatpeace looks like in particular places) with an opportunistic talent for getting from here to there. To know their entrepreneurial capacity is the first step to understanding their role.