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20 May 2013

Nayef Al-Rodhan’s “Symbiotic Realism” Theory

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How do emotions, human ego and sensibilities affect the behaviour of the state and consequently, international relations and politics? How do states “feel”?

Geopolitics is not just about rational thinking. Our OpenMind author Al-Rodhan is a Philosopher, Neuroscientist and Geostrategist who has deeply studied this connexion between emotions and the state conduct.

He has recently published an article in The Huffington Post, which briefly summarizes the main points of his “Symbiotic Realism” theory, where he discusses a more comprehensive framework for interstate relations in our modern, connected and interdependent world that takes into account the role of emotionality in state behaviour.

Based on his conception of human nature and globalization in a nonhierarchical global system, he proposes a more comprehensive vision of the dimensions and dynamics of our interconnected world, which he calls symbiotic realism. In this approach the major actors are believed to be: 1) the individual; 2) the state; 3) large collective identities; 4) international organizations; 5) transnational corporations; 6) the environment; 7) natural resources; 8) women; and 9) information and communications technology.

You can find a full analysis of Nayef Al-Rodhan’s Symbiotic Realism theory in his article The Future of International Relations: A Symbiotic Realism Theory, included in the last book published in OpenMind There is a future: visions for a better world. And if you want to know more about his other publications, you can visit his personal website.

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