Misunderstandings in International Relations

INCE I agree with those who insist that social science is not only a science but L also an art, I shall start my paper not with facts and concepts but with two metaphorical stories. These stories will point, symbolically, in the direction of those facts and issues which I shall later discuss conceptually. The first story: A friend is visiting your city for the first time and he wants to gain a general view of the city. You take him first to the north end where there is a tall tower with a view commanding the whole area. Then you take him to a similar spot at the south end. At that point your friend exclaims with great amazement, How very strange! The city looks quite differently from here! Now, what is your reaction? Something of shock, for you rightly assume that every normal adult understands that things in physical space look differently from differing points of view. You probably conclude that your friend is, to say the least, a bit unbalanced and in need of psychiatric attention. Now, the really strange thing is that what every normal person understands by himself as far as things in physical space are concerned, most people do not understand, and even do not want to understand, so far as phenomena in social space are concerned. And any attempt to explain the relativity of social perspectives, and its full implications, usually meets with strong psychological resistance. The second story: Here we approach the core of our problem. Assume that, pointing to a desk, I should say, This is a chair, and in spite of all attempts on your part to correct me, I still insist it is a chair. You