Peking University, November 11, 2016: With his new book American Foreign Policy and Its thinkers, Professor Perry Anderson was invited to pay a visit and deliver four lectures by Peking University Global Fellowship. From October 16 to 30, Professor Anderson interpreted and criticized on themes such as international schemes, the evolution of internationalism and international law order.
Professor Anderson is a British historian and political essayist. As a specialist in intellectual history, he is often identified with the post-1956 Western Marxism of the New Left. He is professor of History and Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a former editor of the New Left Review. Anderson has written several books, the latest American Foreign Policy and Its Thinkers (2015) had its simplified Chinese version released recently.
Perry Anderson
On the evening of October 18, Professor Anderson gave his first speech at the lecture hall of No.2 Gymnasium in PKU. With the subject of The Concert of Powers: the 19th Century, the speech is the first half of the series focused on the features and fate of the Vienna System. Vienna System was built upon Napoleon's defeat by the then five strong countries including Britain, France, Russia, Prussia and Austria. It was also the first organized cross-border scheme in the Western community. Professor Anderson also pointed out that the system aimed to maintain imperial rule and prevent wars between leading powers while it functioned through frequent diplomatic conferences, the settlement of divergences, the consensus reached and the unavoidable use of force. Despite the great differences and asymmetry among the five, legitimism lays the sole foundation for the cooperation.
On the one hand, revolutions in Naples, Greece, Spain and Belgium were pacified successfully. On the other hand, however, two immense threats lurked in the seemingly sustainable scheme: the decolonizing America and the Ottoman Empire which faced with both vaster territory and more serious corruption. Although the concert of Europe collapsed by World War I, the elements of liberal civilization survived until today.
The first lecture
On the second half of the lecture, Professor Anderson shared his scrutiny into the contemporary world by contrasting life in the 19th century with that of today. At the beginning, Anderson clarified the commonalities like diplomatic conferences, international associations, human rights conceptions as civilization criteria and privileged powers etc.
However, different from former ages, coordination in the 21st century is grounded in the prevention of economic crisis and ecological damage. Practical principles in the capitalist market help harmonize fundamental interests all over the world. As the U.S. is excelling the other leading four — the EU, Russia, India and China, other countries’ sphere of influence is often stepped in by the superpower.
All in all, Professor Anderson concluded, a new scheme to systemize countries seems to be emerging since the very first of this century. According to the theory of Gramsci Antonio’s coercion and consent, he also indicated the two possible destinations of future international orders: one is Kant’s vision of a union of republic leading to eternal peace, the other is ultra-imperialism as put forward by Karl Kautsky.
After a brief revise of the last two lectures, Professor Anderson had the third one delivered on the afternoon of October 21. Under the topic of The Other of Nationalism, he mainly discussed the development of internationalism by comparing it with that of nationalism. Professor Cui Zhiyuan from Tsinghua University’s School of Public Policy and Development commented on it in the following part.
Initially, worldly national affections were evoked by the Independence of the United States and the French Revolution. Patriotism featured rationalism and universalism and fitted with international universalism in both theoretical and practical sense. Nevertheless, Napoleonic Wars gave rise to sheer opposites of the two. Bourgeoisie used European romanticism to modify their appeal for nationalism. They stressed on guarding differentiated universalism and achieved political success during the revolution in 1844. In the meantime, the First International was founded by independent craftsmen who had the capacity to move transnationally, helping internalize civil wars. After the 1860s, bourgeoisie revolutions fomented from the top — which was once dominated by nationalism — mutated into Chauvinism. Internationalism was performed through the Second International yet growing more and more absolute as the Soviet Union established and the Third International succeeded its predecessor. But the Third Internationalism finally submitted to Soviet’s interests and was disbanded during the WWII.
When peace reappeared after the war, gone are the days when bourgeoisie agitated nationalism and the working class advocated its counterpart. Directed by anti-imperialism, nationalism had its center transferred to the Third World as capitalism powers coordinated their business, ideology and strategies. After the mid-1960s, internationalism matured into transnationalism with the establishment of more multilateral cooperation mechanism and multinational corporations. And internal frictions in the communist blocks were intensified by Stalin’s “Socialism in one country”. As for our ages, Professor Anderson deduced, nationalism has a tendency to flourish in the form of separatism, financial market will pioneer the international flow of capital and America’s super hegemony will add more messianic color of universalism to internationalism.
The fourth lecture
The last lecture “International Law: Is it International? Is it Law?” was held on October 25 at Kaiyuan Building. Professor Anderson sorted the development of international laws and their nature varying according to historical background. Realistic examples were also mentioned so as to relate them to our contemporary life. Professor Tony Carty from Tsinghua University’s Law School, Professor Yi Ping and Chen Yifeng from Peking University’s Law School made apt comments on the lecture.
Perry Anderson and Wu Zhipan
From coordination mechanism of great powers to modern hegemonic structure, from the evolution of internationalism to the order of international laws, Professor Anderson showed the charm of contemporary Marxist historians through his broad interests and profound insights.
Written By: Wang Xi
Edited By: Xiao Yunyun
