Bart Landheer – författare

On The Sociology of International Law & International Socitey

The idea of the present study is basically a simple one. It attempts to reconcile the concept of social evolution with that of the structural unity of Man, an idea that is becoming increasingly dominant in the exact as well as in the social sciences. The idea of structure as it emerges from the social field is applied to the human mind as the ultimate cause of society. While pragmatism interpreted the mind as reacting as a whole, the concept of structure places the relation of Man versus his Environment in a different light, and attempts to determine the possible limits of social development. These problems are analyzed in a number of introductory chapters while the basic approach is illustrated by an analysis of some aspects of the growth of Western civilization. Some fictitious "case-studies" have been added in order to leave room for an imaginative interpretation which sometimes can bring out points which are more difficult to explain in "objective" language.

The idea of the present study is basically a simple one. It attempts to reconcile the concept of social evolution with that of the structural unity of Man, an idea that is becoming increasingly dominant in the exact as well as in the social sciences. The idea of structure as it emerges from the social field is applied to the human mind as the ultimate cause of society. While pragmatism interpreted the mind as reacting as a whole, the concept of structure places the relation of Man versus his Environment in a different light, and attempts to determine the possible limits of social development. These problems are analyzed in a number of introductory chapters while the basic approach is illustrated by an analysis of some aspects of the growth of Western civilization. Some fictitious "case-studies" have been added in order to leave room for an imaginative interpretation which sometimes can bring out points which are more difficult to explain in "objective" language.

The academic or scientific occupation with international relations is not always an encouraging task. At times one gets an image of the enormous psychic and physical forces which operate in the international realm, and it then seems that the role of the publicist is almost a negligible one. If one, in addition, arrives at the conclusion that human social action is not really a volitional process, then there is indeed ample room for pessimism and despair. Nevertheless, in the complexity of our consciousness, the different elements of which life is made of blend into a unity of which the idea is as much a part or even more so than the deed or action. The stress on action expresses the crudeness of our times but the idea has been much more the motivation of history and its cohesive force over long periods. Action in terms of force is never in itself the entire solution because it carries no conviction or understanding, at least unless its role is a very moderate one.