Democratic Peace

<p>This book advances the theory that “democratic peace” does not exclusively refer to an absence of war among democracies but should also be thought of as a particular way of “doing thinking and feeling” peace. Democratic peace is not only then a statistical finding or a rhetorical commonplace invoked to justify foreign policy decisions. Rather the notion also refers to a historically and culturally situated practice.</p><p>Taking this reconceptualization as the theoretical point of departure the author develops a historical reconstruction of democratic peace laying bare its historical background and assessing its political significance. Tentatively situating it within the cultural history of modernity he reconstructs how the idea of a democratic peace informed diplomatic action at the onset of the Cold War and during the Arab Spring.</p><p>The primary audience are researchers in international relations specifically democratic peace theorists peace researchers cultural sociologists and international practice theorists.</p>