The unipolar world: Theory, images, and Canada's foreign policy priorities

Abstract

Since the demise of the Soviet Union, unipolarity has been widely discussed by many, including influential scholars, in Canada, the United States, and elsewhere, as a general operational concept describing the international system in its many theoretical colours. Scholars as widely diverse as Kenneth Waltz and Noam Chomsky have used the concept of unipolarity in analysis, and their treatment has been generally respected in certain (and also very diverse) circles. This article examines some of the better known theories addressing polarity-related issues in international affairs, and assesses whether such a hypothetical construct could be used in determining Canada's foreign policy priorities. The article concentrates on methods and processes used in scholarship describing empirical realities of complex systems, such as the international system or strategic rivalry. It outlines a paradox that exists between the hypothesis of ‘unipolarity’ and theoretical reasoning on one hand, and between perceptions and realities of a complex international system on the other.

Keywords:

• Unipolarity
• Canadian foreign policy
• power politics
• international political theory
• systems theory

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lasha Tchantouridzé

Lasha Tchantouridzé, PhD, is Associate Professor and Director, Master of Arts in Diplomacy Program, Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont, USA.