The Courtiers of Civilization

Sasson Sofer

Description

The professional diplomat frequently takes a back seat in the public imagination to such figures as the great heads of state and leading military figures. In The Courtiers of Civilization, Sasson Sofer aims to restore the importance and reputation of the diplomat in Western civilization. Drawing on an exhaustive reading of the vast literature on diplomacy, from the late Renaissance forward, he fashions an engaging portrait of the diplomat's milieu and lifestyle, his place in diplomatic rituals, and his role in international dialogue. Blending historical evidence, sociological analysis, and political thought, Sofer explores the vocational predicament faced by the diplomat, who must play many roles, including negotiator, honorable spy, horse trader, appeaser, and bureaucrat, while at the same time maneuvering in the world of rulers and warriors. Ultimately, the diplomat is a symbol of peace and a custodian of the virtues and norms of a civilized and functional international society—in sum a "courtier of civilization."
Preface

1. Notes on the Origins and Evolution of the Diplomatic Mission

2. Voices for Diplomacy: Statesmen, Diplomats, and Philosophers

3. Conventions and Rituals

4. The Diplomatic Forum

5. Credentials of Words

6. Diplomats and Their Milieu

7. The Courtiers of Civilization

8. Diplomacy Reconsidered

Notes
Bibliography
Index

Sujets

• Diplomacy
• International relations
• Diplomatie (homonymie)

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 26 septembre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438448947
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Courtiers of Civilization
The Courtiers of Civilization
A STUDY OF DIPLOMACY
Sasson Sofer
Cover art: Departure of the Ambassadors (1497–1498) by artist Vittore Carpaccio.
Published by State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2013 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, contact State University of New York Press, Albany, NY www.sunypress.edu
Production by Ryan Morris Marketing by Anne Valentine
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Sofer, Sasson.
The courtiers of civilization : a study of diplomacy / Sasson Sofer.
pages ; cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Summary: “Comprehensive study of the diplomat and the diplomatic mission in western civilization”-—Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978-1-4384-4893-0 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. International relations. 2. Diplomacy. I. Title.
JZ1305.S663 2013
327.2--dc23
2013000112
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To the memory of my beloved brother, Fathi
Contents
Preface
Chapter 1: Notes on the Origins and Evolution of the Diplomatic Mission
Chapter 2: Voices for Diplomacy: Statesmen, Diplomats, and Philosophers
Chapter 3: Conventions and Rituals
Chapter 4: The Diplomatic Forum
Chapter 5: Credentials of Words
Chapter 6: Diplomats and Their Milieu
Chapter 7: The Courtiers of Civilization
Chapter 8: Diplomacy Reconsidered
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Preface
A T THE CENTER of this study of diplomacy stands its principal protagonist—the professional diplomat. Our main purpose is to evaluate anew the portrait and the reputation of the diplomatic envoy in Western society. We consider the following three constitutive propositions: first, that practice was always central to the evolution of diplomatic culture; second, that the nature of diplomacy, which is inherently stable, may withstand the challenges of contemporary international politics; and last, that diplomatic practice is embedded within an “ethical-pluralist” tendency and is fundamentally intertwined with diplomatic competence.
The “diplomat” is one of the most vilified and ridiculed persona in the history of international affairs, as well as in literary works. The suspicions, the criticism, and the bias directed against diplomats are old as the profession itself. There is, indeed, no other civil servant so closely associated with adjectives such as “failure” and “decline.” The portrayal of diplomats as timid and incompetent is related, first and foremost, to their close association with power. In this regard, diplomats are the victims of their vocation. The dim view taken of diplomats is quite striking in comparison with that of statesmen, sovereigns, and captains of war. Diplomats’ presumed social privileges, and essential diplomatic virtues, such as moderation and truthfulness, have repeatedly cast them as chosen scapegoats.
Diplomats’ political weakness, but also the fundamental misunderstanding of the essence of diplomacy, impede and hamper their ability to be efficient moral agents of international society. Diplomats’ political dependence and obedience are hardly enough to save them from public wrath. On the contrary, their detachment and reserve, which are essential for success, open the way for the accusation that they are merely executioners of orders. There is, it seems, an incompatibility between the moral essence of diplomacy, and the ignominious place allocated to its practitioners. Ultimately, they may succumb to a Byzantine fate, where their lives and the welfare of the state are two divergent considerations.
Diplomacy could have been emancipatory, and more constructive in its achievements. Instead, it has been relegated to a secondary place in international politics. This study attempts to construct a more coherent, and implicitly more favorable, profile of professional diplomats than emerges from their popular image.
Diplomacy is neither a preconceived idea, nor an abstract construct. It was originated and ordained in the necessity to conduct relations among separate political entities in a civilized way. At its best, diplomacy was capable of overcoming prejudices, and moderating international conflicts. Good diplomacy, observed the diplomat and poet Alexis Saint-Léger, is “imagination, foresight, suggestion, representation, execution.” Diplomacy is a unique social encounter, with an inclination toward the peaceful and the consensual. It has a civilizational standing, as exemplified by its origins in different cultures, and at different periods in history. If the essence of diplomacy is still valid, then much is to be gained from the classical writings of philosophers and practitioners, from Rosier to Satow and Nicolson.

Diplomacy’s place within international theory is rather precarious. The attempt to construct a diplomatic theory of international relations may prove inconclusive at present, especially since international theory, in all its approaches and schools, is currently immersed in one of its deepest crises. The intellectual uncertainty that has prevailed since the end of the Cold War era has brought about a certain fruition in the search for new concepts and methods, but theoretical refinement was not enough to cope with the accelerating pace of change taking place in the world order. Certainly, abandoning diplomacy in international theory would constitute a failure, not supported by any valid methodological or theoretical principles. Though they complain about the intellectual paucity of diplomatic study, theorists have not been able to integrate diplomacy in a meaningful way into their theoretical frameworks, nor to significantly enhance our understanding of international reality.
Methodologically, this study is interdisciplinary, relying on historical evidence, sociological analysis, and, where appropriate, political thought. It is substantially based to a great extent on reading classical diplomatic texts from the late Renaissance to the last century. We consider the writings of diplomatists to be an important source, despite their laudatory, even narcissistic tone. There is also much to be gained from sociological scholarship. The writings of, for instance, Georg Simmel and Norbert Elias, provide profound insights into the social properties of the diplomatic encounter, and on the concepts of social distance and estrangement. Indeed, the pluralistic approach is most appropriate for the study of diplomacy, further augmenting the merits of the English School.
It is often asked, even by serious scholars, Who are the diplomats? The inclusive approach that regards representatives of NGOs and even ordinary citizens as legitimate competitors with diplomats, is gaining momentum. Formerly, diplomats were regarded as such only on the basis of their rank and prerogatives, as defined by international conventions. As diplomatic envoys they conduct their business according to a distinctive code of behavior. They labor to preserve what has been achieved, and aspire for what is attainable in international politics. But, when so instructed they may act also as emissaries of change.
Professional diplomacy is a way of life, from apprenticeship to retirement. The diplomat moves within a bounded social milieu, is schooled by his country’s foreign ministry, and rewarded by assignments and promotions. As an envoy he faces risks and hazards on several fronts—the ups and downs of a career dominated by a bureaucracy bifurcated between home and abroad, the whims of his political masters, and the existential danger of being merely the symbolic representative of his country. The nomadic life, and the demands of diplomatic rituals, make diplomacy the craft of strangers. But in a dialectical way, being a stranger serves diplomats well in their roles as negotiators and reporters.
Diplomatic credentials are formally granted by international law, while the substantive ones depend on the diplomat’s talents and ethics. Diplomats are experts in precise and accurate communication, whether oral or written. More attention should be paid, in this regard, to the natural symbiosis between literature and diplomacy. Accomplished writers and poets have served as successful practitioners. Diplomats perform on a variety of stages—palaces, dining halls, hotel lobbies, and even spas and cemeteries. Under mutual agreements, such places become public spheres, demarcated and ordained as diplomatic forums. As masters of changing settings, diplomats undeservedly gained a dubious reputation of their character—honorable spies, timid appeasers, and dull bureaucrats.
In fact, diplomats are explorers of the realities of world politics. They navigate paths of contrasts and ambiguities, heeding Bismarckian choices: “the least harmful, the most useful.” Diplomats are among the great adopters in history. Within the span of a century they have progressed from the old diplomacy through a short era of illusions following the First World War, the brutality and collapse of the European system of diplomacy during the interwar period, the confrontation of the Cold War era, and last the beginning of the twenty-first century, when voluntary nongovernmental entities have attempted to change the long-established conventions and norms of diplomacy.
Being close to power has proved to be a double-edged sword. The rela