• Chapter 7
Middle-earth as a Source of
Inspiration and Enrichment
Characters and
races can
provide many
interesting
– and different
– insights into
IR
LOTR can be a mirror to reflect
the real world
The two basic questions of IR are
answered in combination with each other
How can we
make the world a
better place?
How can we
make the world a
safer place?
Fear that failure to
Failure by the
stop Saddam
White Council to
Hussein would
take action against
result in many lives
Sauron
lost
Decisions are often
made with limited
information available
at the time
So how do decision-makers make
better choices in the real world?
The tendency for rapid and emotional
arguments could be harmful
to the world of IR
Foreign Policy decision-making
needs context and perspective
Who is interpreting the
outcome?
What standard is being
used?
When is the judgment
being made?
Globalization is a
mixed blessing
Interdependence may promote cooperation
while producing additional challenges
Global health is an issue spanning
concerns of making the world
a better and safer place
Infectious disease
Smoking
Infectious Disease
Health challenges have become more
intense as globalization picks up
SARS
AIDS
What does security mean?
State security
Human security
War has destructive side effects,
even for those not directly involved
Loss of personal
freedom
(esp. for women)
Reduced standard
of living
Environmental
damage
Misconduct
by military personnel
during occupation
State/national
security is not a
sufficient condition
for human security
Human security
cannot guarantee
state security
International institutions can help
find peaceful solutions for conflicts
Recognition of
the dangers of
“going it alone”
Commitment to
hearing a wider
range of voices
Mercy can have
positive or negative consequences
Gollum
Wormtongue
Saruman
1988: 259 people die when a bomb
explodes Pan Am Flight 103 over
Lockerbie, Scotland
2009: Al-Megrahi was released due
to terminal cancer