People (Jen), State and Inter-state Relations: A Psycho-Culturological Approach (Contributions to International Relations)

This book explores the relationship between the “human constant” (Jen) of the four large-scale civilizational societies―China, the USA, Japan, and India―and their international behavior, response patterns, and interaction with the international system. The book analyzes the characteristics and limitations of the current international system, as well as the way it is related to the Western type of “human constant”. It also analyzes the challenges facing China in its integration into the international system. This book aims to explore international relations from the combined psychological and cultural perspective. The key concept of this book is “Jen”, which contains a distinct Chinese cultural experience, into the theory of international relations. Unlike other IR books to treat state as the main political actor, the book analyzes both the political aspects of state as an “organizational entity” and its civilizational aspects as a “civilizational entity”; hence, it proposes a new ontology of international relations. By integrating the concept of “Jen” based on the unique Chinese cultural experience into the theory of international relations, the book reveals the interactive nature of relationship between the international system and “human constant”. The book explains the causal relationship between state’s behavior and its “human constant”, analyzes the cultural characteristics of state actors and the international system, and tries to provide a new theoretical framework for understanding culture and modernity. Preface Introduction Contents About the Author List of Figures Part I Psycho-Culturology and International Relations: Perspectives and Paradigm 1 Mainstream International Relations Theory and Attempts to Create a “Chinese School” 1 The Development of Contemporary Mainstream International Relations Theory and Its Limitations 2 The Discussion of “Chinese School” and Its Background 3 Where is the Entry Point for Establishing a “Chinese School” of International Relations Theory? 4 Several Issues on the “Relational Theory” of International Politics: Discussion with Professor Qin Yaqing References 2 Psycho-Culturology: Core Concepts and Perspectives 1 Two core concepts: “Psychosocial Homeostasis” and “Human Constant” 2 Types of the Human Constant 3 Dimensions of Human Constants 4 Psychosocial Homeostasis and Human Constants: Characteristics and Implications of Two New Paradigms 5 Psycho-Cultural Paths in the Study of State Relations References 3 People (Jen), States, and Interstate Relations 1 Two Sides of Being a State Actor: “Civilizational Entity” and “Organizational Entity” 2 Civilizations and Interstate Relations 3 The “Chinese School” in International Relations Theory: The Introduction of a New Perspective and a New Paradigm References 4 From “International Politics” to “International Relations”: Examining the Ontology of International Relations in the Era of Strong World Connections 1 Introduction 2 The Ontological Foundations of the Schools of International Relations Theory 3 From the Ontology of International Politics to the Ontology of International Relations 4 Testing the Ontology of International Relations in the Era of Strong World Connections 5 Conclusion References Part II The Lun Jen (伦人) and Their Outer World 5 Lun-Jen and the Kinship-State 1 An Examination of Several Models 2 A Few Points of Analysis 3 The State Form of the Ancient China: The Kinship-State 4 Lun Jen and the Kinship-State: An Exploration of Psychological Culture References 6 The Lun Jen and “All-Under-Heaven” (Tianxia) 1 Li (Rites): An Ancient East Asian International Order Based on the “Role Principle” 2 The Operation of the Role Principle: The Three “Cultures” of the “World” System 3 The Internalization of the “All-Under-Heaven” System 4 The Shortcomings of the Chinese Tributary System and Its Collapse References 7 “Harmony” and the Psychosocial Homeostasis Model of the Lun Jen 1 Harmony in a Negative Sense: Characteristics of the PSH Model of the Lun Jen 2 Harmony in a Positive Sense: Psycho-Cultural Orientation of the Lun Jen 3 “The Myth of Chinese Expansionism”: A Psycho-Culturological Perspective Explanation References 8 China in the Modern Nation-State System: The Way Forward and the Dilemma 1 Challenge 1: A Model of the Kinship-State that Has Lasted for Thousands of Years Versus a Modern Nation-State System 2 Challenge 2 China’s Unique Civilizational Experience and International Rules 3 Challenge 3 Rapidly Increasing “Hard Power” and Weaker “Soft Power” 4 Challenge 4 Order and Freedom References Part III “The Individual Jen” and the Contemporary International Order 9 The Individual Jen, the Individual State, and the Modern International Order 1 “The Individual Jen”: The “Human Constant” in Western Society 2 “The Individual Jen” and Modern Western “Nation-State” 3 Psychosocial Homeostasis and Human Evil: The Cultural and Psychological Foundations of the “Security Dilemma” in the Modern Nation-State 4 The International System, Modern Civilization, and the “Individual Jen” References 10 Peace and the Evolution of the International System 1 The Origins of the Modern International System 2 The International System and Peace After World War II 3 The International System and Peace in the Age of Globalization 4 Restraining War: The Civilizational Evolution of the International System References 11 “The Rugged Individual Jen”: The American Human Constant and the Analysis of Its Psychosocial Homeostasis 1 The Rugged Individual Jen: The American Human Constant and its Dimensions 2 The Psychosocial Homeostasis Model of the Rugged Individual Jen 3 Affective Control Mechanisms and Libido Factors in the Process of Psychosocial Homeostasis References 12 The “Outer World” of the Rugged Individual Jen 1 “Ego” of the Rugged Individual Jen and Messianism 2 Transactional Human Relations and the Tendency to Worship “Profit” and “Power” in U.S. Diplomacy 3 Competitive Interpersonal Relations and Illusory Tendencies in U.S. Foreign Relations References 13 Soft Power, Rugged Individualism, and American Human Constant 1 Soft power, Cultural Attractiveness and Rugged Individualism 2 The Performance of U.S. Soft Power 3 The Psychological and Cultural Foundations of American Soft Power: American Human Constant 4 Why is American Soft Power Attractive? 5 The Limits of Individualism as the Basis of U.S. “Soft Power” References Part IV State Forms and Interstate Relations of Japan and India 14 The Human Constant of the Japanese People and Japanese Diplomacy 1 Efforts to Explore Japanese Behavior Patterns 2 “The Yuan Jen”: The Human Constant of the Japanese People 3 Ethnicity and Japanese Diplomacy 4 “Peace”, “Harmony”, “Nemawasi”, and Japanese Diplomacy 5 Amae, Okami, and Japanese Diplomacy References 15 Japan’s Iemoto-State and Iemoto System: Formation and Operation of the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere 1 The Unit of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere: Iemoto-State 2 Structure of the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere: Iemoto System 3 The Emergence of the Iemoto System: Changes in the Positions of Units Within the System 4 Conclusion References 16 Cultural Traditions and the Establishment of Western-Style Political Systems in India 1 Pluralistic and Composite Cultural Tradition and Modern Political System 2 Decentralized Power Model and Modern Democracy 3 Hinduism's Dharma and the Modern Political System References 17 State and International System of Ancient South Asia 1 The Dharma System 2 How the Dharma System Works 3 Caste-State: The Form of State Under the Dharma System 4 The Psycho-Cultural Roots of the Dharma System 5 The Impact of the Dharma System on Modern South Asia References Appendix Specialized Vocabulary Explanation All Under Heave Amae (甘え) Amaterasu (アマテラス) Artha Atman Brahman Caste Caste-State Cefeng (册封) Chinese Human Constant—Lun Jen (伦人) Chinese Tributary System (朝贡体系) Civilization Entity The Contextual Jen (间人, or Just “The Contextual” for Short) Dharma Dharma System Differential Pattern Giri (義理) Guanxi (关系) Hakko Ichiu (八紘一宇) The Hierarchicus (阶序人) Hindutva Honzon (本尊) Human Constant (基本人际状态) Iemoto (家元) Iemoto State The Individual Jen (个人, or Just “The Individual” for Short) Japanese Human Constant—Yuan Jen (缘人) Jen (人) Jifu (畿服) Jimi (羁縻) Kāma Kamikaze (神風) Kinship-State Kin-Tract Principle Kohai (後輩) Li (礼) “Life Package” (生命包) Māyā Miuchi (身内) Mokosa Nagama (仲間) Nation-State Nemawasi (根まわし) Ninjyo (人情) Okami (御上) On (恩) Organization Entity Psycho-culturology (心理文化学) Psychosocial Homeostasis (PSH) Psycho-cultural Orientation Raja Rajamandala The Rugged Individual Jen (极致个人, or Just “The Rugged Individual” for Short) Rugged Individualism (极致个人主义) Sanskritization Senpai (先輩) Tanin (他人) Tate Society (縦社会) Tianxia (天下) Ubunasu (うぶなす, 産土) Yin-Yang (阴阳) Zhongyong (中庸) Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere