The closing of the diplomatic mind

Abstract

Why does today’s diplomatic imagination appear so limited? When, how, and why did it begin to shrink? To understand the current state of diplomacy and how it may be renewed and reformed, one must go back at least 30 years to trace the evolution of the international system when diplomats sought after the demise of the Soviet Union to redefine what had been depicted simplistically as a bipolar world. For many optimists of that generation, today’s polarized and contentious international system may appear disappointing. Disappointment need not last. Diplomatic theory and practice have been renewed many times before in order to adapt to changes in technology, society, and politics, which today go by the name of globalization. Now may be the time for another “new diplomacy.” It could begin by reinvigorating the diplomatic imagination.