International Relations
| Published date | 01 September 2010 |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1478-9302.2010.00217_2.x |
| Date | 01 September 2010 |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
391
Plato’s Philosophers: The Coherence of the
dialogues with such seriousness and such a fresh eye
Dialogues by Catherine H. Zuckert. Chicago IL:
that others scholars will be forced to address various
University of Chicago Press, 2009. 896pp., £31.00,
arguments made in this book many years from now.
ISBN 978 0 226 99335 5
Clifford Angell Bates Jr
(American Studies Center, University of Warsaw)
Following on from her Postmodern Platos (1996), which
dealt with postmodern interpreters of Plato (Nietzsche,
Heidegger, Gadamer, Strauss and Derrida), Catherine
We welcome short reviews of books in all areas of
Zuckert has now turned her interest in Plato to an
politics and international relations. For guidelines
attempt to understand the whole of Plato’s dialogues.
on submitting reviews, and to see an up-to-date
Very few scholars have dared to grapple with the whole
listing of books available for review, please visit
corpus of Platonic dialogues in a single volume, and
http://www.politicalstudiesreview.org/.
none before has made an attempt in one volume to
understand the whole of the 35 dialogues by the order-
ing of their dramatic dates.
International Relations
Starting with the pre-philosophic foundation of the
city per se and that which comes from the city – the
Security and the War on Terror by Alex J.
laws – Zuckert begins with Plato’s Laws. She argues
Bellamy, Roland Bleiker, Sara E. Davies and
that that which is commonly viewed as later work has
Richard Devetak (eds). Abingdon: Routledge, 2008.
a dramatic date prior to the other Platonic dialogues,
235pp., £22.99, ISBN 978 0 415 36845 2
and as such it represents the pre-philosophic ground on
which early philosophy emerges. In seeing how
Why We’re Losing the War on Terror by Paul
Socrates became Socrates we then come to see Socrates
Rogers. Oxford: Polity Press, 2007. 177pp., £12.99,
address the fundamental human questions. Through the
ISBN 978 0 7456 4197 3
drama of Socrates’ life and death we come face to face
with philosophy as a lived and fundamentally overpow-
There is no shortage of books critical of the war on
ering experience.
terror and the ongoing problems in Afghanistan and
Doing all of this in a single volume is a very risky
Iraq will doubtless ensure that this proliferation will
move, as many readers will be left wanting more since,
continue. The two books under review are useful addi-
in order to grasp the 35 dialogues as a whole, much has
tions to the literature and comprise thoughtful critiques
to be left unsaid. Also, there is a great body of Platonic
of the strategy employed to date.
scholars who refuse to see the critical importance that
According to the editors, Security and the War on Terror
the dramatic form plays in understanding the argu-
is based on four propositions: the September 11th
ments being made. Many of these scholars will refuse to
attacks ‘challenged core Western beliefs about the
take seriously others who suggest that the dramatic
theory and practice of security’; America’s response
form is the critical lens for guiding the reader to access
was ‘underpinned by old and discredited ways of
the dialogues. Another reason why a good number of
pursuing security’; this strategy has failed; alternative
scholars will ignore this book is that it is a work by a
strategies are available (p. 1). The editors acknowledge
student of Leo Strauss, and at present an intense and
that these are not radical propositions but they do
widespread Straussophobia runs through many Anglo-
inform all subsequent contributions, lending the book a
American philosophy and classics circles.
coherence that is often lacking in edited volumes.
Regardless of such matters, Zuckert’s book remains a
Certain chapters are particularly insightful. Anthony
remarkable accomplishment of Platonic and classical
Burke provides an all-too-rare historical analysis of the
scholarship, and the reader of this hefty volume is left
causes of antipathy towards the West in the Arab world
with a convincing interpretation of Plato. The book is
– citing in particular Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in
thorough, detailed, resourceful and rigorous. In reading
1982 – and he argues: ‘the best hope of delegitimizing
this book one is confronted with a piece of Plato
and eventually eliminating terrorism lies in attention
scholarship which clearly shows a pondering of the
to the power of example’ (p. 40). Katrina Lee-Koo
© 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Political Studies Association
Political Studies Review: 2010, 8(3)
392
I N T E R N A T I O N A L R E L A T I O N S
provides a very interesting feminist analysis of the war
account of the intervening coalition’s failures in Iraq
on terror, while Richard Devetak notes the extent to
(pp. 97–112) is convincing, it is not clear why this
which the discourse of failed/rogue states, and their
particular debacle should be deemed to be indicative of
ostensible relationship with terrorism, constitute a
a more general failure in the war on terror. While the
modern variant of a binary view of the world that
invasion of Iraq was clearly the single largest initiative
has been widespread since the end of the Cold War.
since September 11th, a book that purports to address
The North has continued ‘to spatialize the sources of
the war on terror more generally should go beyond this
terrorist violence’ and this ‘helps to shore up a deeper
particular conflict. There is some engagement with
assumption held by the North – that it remains the sole
the intervention and post-conflict administration of
source of good governance and civilization’ (p. 140).
Afghanistan, but this is overshadowed by the focus on
Elsewhere there are certain assertions and underlying
Iraq. Nonetheless, Rogers’ analysis is insightful and his
assumptions which, to my mind, compromise the cri-
damming appraisal of the past, and pessimistic vision of
tiques. For example, it is asserted on a number of
the future, are sobering.
occasions that the Bush administration’s response to
The war on terror shattered the hitherto growing
September 11th constituted the re-emergence of
sense of irresistible progress spearheaded by benevolent
‘realism’ (see p. 3, p. 10, p. 190). This is questionable:
Western expansionism. While these books articulate a
how invading Iraq could be construed as an act in
highly critical appraisal of this endeavour, the underly-
tandem with the principles of realism is unclear, espe-
ing normative assumptions cohere, somewhat ironically,
cially given that many prominent ‘realists’ (such as John
with some of the key ideological convictions that
Mearsheimer) were among the misadventure’s most
catalysed the initiation of the ill-fated global ‘crusade’:
vocal critics. Neo-conservatism rather than realism is
namely, a belief in the ideological rectitude of the West
arguably a more accurate theoretical basis for the Bush
and the need for global change based on the spread of
Doctrine.
so-called ‘Western norms’. These defensive reactions to
Paul Rogers offers a highly critical account of the
the manifest failure of the war on terror either to
manner in which the ‘war on terror’ has been pros-
counter the threat posed by al-Qa’eda or further the
ecuted. To date, he argues, the policy has manifestly
cause of liberal internationalism are therefore neither as
failed and is now ‘something of a lost cause’ (p. viii).
critical nor reflective as they suggest. The problem, so
Rogers criticises the Bush administration for its reli-
the authors claim, is with the method not the aim.
ance on religious convictions, its ideological rigidity
Thus, while critics will find much to supplement their
and failure to work with the international community.
critiques here, larger, and I contend more important,
Rogers argues that the Bush administration’s obses-
issues – the merits, legitimacy and efficacy of the spread
sion with Iraq obscured the deteriorating situation in
of Western norms – are not sufficiently addressed.
Afghanistan with the result that today the battle against
Aidan Hehir
the Taliban is being lost (p. 87). The debacle in Iraq –
(University of Westminster)
the primary focus of Rogers’ critique – was a conse-
quence of a belief in the willingness of the Iraqis to
Contracting States: Sovereign Transfers in Inter-
accept external administration, which was ‘a gross mis-
national Relations by Alexander Cooley and
reading of regional politics, culture and religion’ (p. 92).
Hendrik Spruyt. Princeton NJ: Princeton University
The excuse that insufficient troops were sent to Iraq is,
Press, 2009. 232pp., £14.95, ISBN 978 0 691 13724 7
Rogers states, ‘in practice warped and even incorpo-
rates some rewriting of history’ (p. 91). The ‘war on
Contracting States provides an insight into the realm of
terror’, in particular the misadventure in Iraq, has
sovereignty agreements and the transfer of authority.
proved counterproductive; ‘the al-Qa’eda movement’,
The main aim of the authors is to demonstrate how
he claims, ‘could hardly have asked for anything more
issues such as territorial fragmentation, state building
likely to aid their cause’ (p. 116).
and formation, and integration constitute part of a
While the book’s title suggests Rogers has an expla-
process whereby sovereignty is treated as a...
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