Abstract
The dynamic patterns of climate change and their unintended consequences call for a radical reconsideration of the relationship between socio-political and biophysical systems. This chapter offers an analytical overview of the cognitive templates framing the environment and security nexus in the study of world politics. The suggestion is that in order to cope with the escalating complexity of global life, International Relations theory has to abandon its predilection for linear models, accept unpredictability, respect (and utilize) autonomy and creativity, and respond flexibly to emerging patterns and opportunities. By relying on complexity thinking, this chapter outlines the two logics of security-the logic of control and the logic of resilience-dominating the discipline. By detailing this bifurcation, the analysis draws attention to the subjectivity of nonhuman/biophysical systems in the process of accepting insecurity as a normal part of global life. This move then provides the point of departure for the exploration of political action under the conditions of complexity.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | An Anthology of Contending Views on International Security |
| Editors | David Walton, Michael Frazier |
| Place of Publication | U.S.A. |
| Publisher | Nova Science Publishers |
| Pages | 87-101 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781619428089 |
| Publication status | Published - 2012 |
Keywords
- climatic changes
- complexity
- environment
- insecurity
- world politics
