People, States and Fear: The National Security Problem in International Relations

Few people would deny that national security ranks prominently among the problems facing humanity. States, which are the highest form of political order that we have so far been able to develop and sustain, seem unable to coexist with each other in harmony. Throughout the history of states, each has been made insecure by the existence of others, and the actions of each in pursuit of its own national security have frequently combined with those of others to produce war. Given the power of our military technology, war is now the most prominant and, arguably, the most likely threat to the continuity of our species. Since the national security problem lies at the root of war, addressing it is a matter of acknowledged importance.