United States and its Enemies: The United States' Adversaries and the Formation of American Political Science: The United States' Adversaries and the Formation of American Political Science

Author: Idit Oren
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-08-01
Features: Idit Oren challenges the notion that "American political science, as an independent discipline, is in some way dependent on the self-image of democracy." As the conclusion of this provocative and insightful book states, "it will spark a long-standing debate about the identity of American political science." — Noam Chomsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
This book is a timely and exciting addition to the growing literature on the history of political science and the history of social thought. It should be a must-read for all social scientists. It compels us to reevaluate whether the academic we expect is entirely objective and makes us realize that, in the past, time and space have imposed too many unquestioned and severe limitations on the objectivity of our discipline's assumptions. More unsettlingly, there is no reason to believe that such limiting factors no longer play a role in shaping most of our research today. — David Easton, University of California, Irvine
This book examines the ideological origins and practices of political science, challenging the traditional claim of objectivity made by political science and instead arguing that "the political system is attached to its homeland rather than the democracy it claims." The author reveals the long-standing close relationship between American political scientists and the security services. Oren systematically presents the ideological "accommodationism" of the United States before conflicts with its primary adversaries—from the Williamite Germany, Nazi Germany, fascist Italy under Mussolini, to the Soviet Union under Stalin—and the subsequent "nationalism" after the conflicts. The blurring of politics and political science also reappears repeatedly. The book is not just a review of historical facts; Oren also urges academic institutions to approach moral disagreements in their work with greater sensitivity and to think about the fundamental issues through the essence of political science.
The renowned contemporary American linguist, known for his anti-establishment stance, Noam Chomsky, says: "Idit Oren challenges the self-proclaimed 'apolitical science built purely on democratic ideals' of American political science." This book will help the field of political science in our country critically expose the ideological nature of American political science, rather than blindly worshiping and uncritically importing it, thereby reflecting on the development path of Chinese political science and further advancing a comprehensive reflection on Western social sciences. It holds revolutionary implications for the construction of Chinese social sciences and scientific research.
Oren challenges the traditionally aloof image of American political science in the book, uncovering many uncomfortable truths about the "politicization" or "ideologization" of academia. This includes Woodrow Wilson, who served as U.S. president from 1913 to 1921, admiring the efficiency of the Prussian bureaucratic system; the book reviews in The American Political Science Review showing a preference for Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf; and political scientists' involvement in the "Peace Village" during the Vietnam War, a program developed in Vietnam from 1965 to 1973, as well as their interrogation and torture of Viet Cong prisoners.
Oren reveals the long-standing close relationship between American political scientists and the security services in the book. He also exposes a highly influential figure in the field of political science, John W. Burgess, a professor of history and political science at Columbia University. Burgess was deeply pro-German and articulated the view that the Germanic people were politically superior to other ethnic groups. In his 1890 essay Political Science and Comparative Constitutions, which promoted Social Darwinism, Burgess argued that for barbaric peoples, no human rights exist, and only the Germanic people, including the Anglo-Saxons, possess enduring political capacity, which they should organize to educate the backward peoples of the world.
Oren systematically presents the ideological "accommodationism" of the United States before conflicts with its primary adversaries—from the Williamite Germany, Nazi Germany, fascist Italy under Mussolini, to the Soviet Union under Stalin—and the subsequent "nationalism" after the conflicts. The blurring of politics and political science also reappears repeatedly. The United States and Its Enemies is not just a review of historical facts; Oren also urges academic institutions to approach moral disagreements in their work with greater sensitivity and to think about the fundamental issues through the essence of political science.
Table of Contents
Chinese Preface
English Preface
Introduction
American Political Science as Ideology
Political Science as Ideology
Knowledge Association: Constructivism, Social Science History, Sociology of Science
Chapter 1: The German Empire
John Burgess's Nationalist Theory
Woodrow Wilson's Centralized Theory
Chapter 2: Nazi Germany
The Moral Representation of the Jewish Race
The Claims of the German Government
Hitler's Enlightened Comments and the Impact of Their Clash with Nazism
Chapter 3: Stalinist Soviet Union
Totalitarianism and 1950s American Political Science
The Victory of Procedural Democracy
Chapter 4: Cold War Politics
Public Administration and Developing Countries
Gabriel Almond's Dual Career
Lucian W. Pye and the MIT Center for International Studies
Everett C. Kline's Political Science and the American Political Science Association
The Impact of the Vietnam War
Conclusion: Towards a Reflective Political Science
Postscript