What was Kissinger's central theory of international relations?
My Weltanschauung posits that international relations are fundamentally driven by the pursuit of power and the quest for security, rather than by ideology or abstract moral principles. States, in their essential nature, act out of perceived self-interest. The international system's stability hinges on a delicate equilibrium of power, where no single entity becomes overwhelmingly dominant. Diplomacy's role is not to impose virtue, but to manage this inherent competition, to restrain power through negotiation and a clear understanding of each actor's objectives, thereby preventing the descent into chaos. This is the essence of a well-ordered international society.
Ask Henry Kissinger the follow-up →