Nayef R. F Al-Rodhan Knihy

In Sustainable History and Human Dignity, Professor Nayef Al-Rodhan shows that it is the human quest for sustainable governance, balancing the ever-present tension between nine human dignity needs and three human nature attributes (emotionality, amorality & egoism), that has and will most profoundly shape the course of history. Beginning with an ‘Ocean Model’ of a single collective human civilisation, Al-Rodhan constructs a common human story comprised of multiple geo-cultural domains and sub-cultures with a history of mutual borrowing and synergies. If humanity as a whole is to flourish, all of these diverse geo-cultural domains must succeed. Only thus can lasting peace and prosperity be achieved for all, especially in the face of ‘Civilisational Frontier Risks’ and highly disruptive technologies in the twenty-first century.

From civilisational frontier risks associated with new challenges like disruptive technologies, to the shifting nature of great-power conflicts and subversion, the 21st century requires a new approach to statecraft. In 21st-Century Statecraft, Professor Nayef Al-Rodhan proposes five innovative statecraft concepts. He makes the case for a new method of geopolitical analysis called ‘meta-geopolitics’, and for ‘dignity-based governance’. He shows how, in an interdependent and interconnected world, traditional thinking must move beyond zero-sum games and focus on ‘multi-sum and symbiotic realist’ interstate relations. This requires a new paradigm of global security premised on five dimensions of security, and a new concept of power, ‘just power’, which highlights the centrality of justice to state interests. These concepts enable states to balance competing interests and work towards what the author calls ‘reconciliation statecraft’. Throughout, Professor Al-Rodhan brings his philosophical and neuroscientific expertise to bear, providing a practical model for conducting statecraft in a sustainable way.

A groundbreaking analysis of human nature, our innate predispositionsand their implications for universal security and dignity.

'There's a Future: Visions for a Better World' maps out how our reality is likely to change over the course of the coming decades.

In this era of globalization, a multitude of threats impact the security of populations everywhere. These threats now increasingly transgress the traditional boundaries of states and are often non-military in nature, requiring more comprehensive and multifaceted approaches and policy responses. While every threat is unique in terms of its root causes and remedies, philosophical and conceptual methods exist that offer valuable tools for analysis and potential policy recommendations for states facing such threats. This book presents in a novel way, eight such approaches that - when applied against any transnational threat - may help to enhance the effectiveness of states in their pursuit of long-term and durable security.