Conservatism and US Foreign Policy

Author: Ren Xiao et al. (editors)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-09-01
Features: On August 24-25, 2002, the U.S. Division of the Shanghai International Studies Institute and the U.S. Research Center of Fudan University jointly organized a symposium titled "Conservatism and U.S. Foreign Policy." This book is a product of that symposium. It is hoped that the publication of this book will further promote research on U.S. political ideas and U.S. foreign policy, elevating the field of study to a new level. As the saying goes, "A stone from another mountain can polish jade." It is believed that this research will also contribute to the innovation of China's international relations theory and help form a school of thought in the field. In August 2002, the U.S. Research Division of the Shanghai International Studies Institute and the U.S. Research Center of Fudan University, in collaboration with the Arms Control and Regional Security Research Project, jointly hosted an academic symposium. As one of the main outcomes of the conference, the book "Conservatism and U.S. Foreign Policy" was published by Shanghai Sanlian Bookstore in 2003. Grateful for the recognition of our peers in academia, we acknowledge the affirmation of this work. Encouraged and inspired by all parties, in September 2003, the two aforementioned institutions jointly organized a second academic symposium titled "Realism and U.S. Foreign Policy." Scholars from Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Guangzhou, and Luoyang gathered for lively and rigorous academic discussions. This was a successful symposium, and this book reflects its outcomes. The original intention of the meeting was to engage more young scholars in international relations, aiming to provide a platform for them to take the lead. We believe that such cultivation and training could be a meaningful endeavor. As a result, a group of young scholars in their 20s and 30s attended the meeting and shared their research insights. In 2001, John Mearsheimer, a professor at the University of Chicago, published his new book "The Tragedy of Great Power Politics," which garnered widespread attention. In April 2003, the Chinese edition of the book was published by Shanghai People's Publishing House. Around the same time, a major event occurred globally: the United States launched a war on Iraq without the United Nations' authorization, sparking a widespread division of forces and debate. Mearsheimer was an opponent of this war. The fact that Mearsheimer, who advocates "Offensive Realism," opposed the war is an interesting phenomenon. Therefore, we chose the theme "Realism and U.S. Foreign Policy" and invited scholars to contribute papers that would analyze the development of realism in international relations theory, reflect on its strengths and weaknesses, and explore the relationship between realism and U.S. foreign policy. The news was met with enthusiastic responses, and scholars from various backgrounds conducted research and submitted a total of 18 papers, contributing to the symposium's success. After the conference, we requested the authors to revise their papers based on the discussions, and we also provided revision suggestions for most of the papers. Shortly after the symposium, Professor Mearsheimer visited China for a lecture tour, and many paper authors had the opportunity to discuss academic issues with him in person, which greatly benefited the revision and refinement of their papers. Coincidentally or not, the authors criticized the "Offensive Realism" theory more than they affirmed it, which naturally involves an evaluation of realism in international relations theory and its development. What we value more, however, is the theoretical courage and independent thinking demonstrated by the authors, as some of their research shows considerable depth, indicating that the younger generation of scholars is growing. This is a source of great satisfaction for us. It is worth noting that as scholars, we should always maintain a humble attitude—humility leads to progress, and we are willing to share this aspiration with the younger generation of scholars.