Book Reviews and Notices : Power Politics. BY MARTIN WIGHT. (London and New York: Royal Institute of International Affairs. 1949. Pp. 66. $.50.)

• Author: W. Harold Dalgliesh
• DOI: 10.1177/106591294900200430
• Date: 01 December 1949
• Published date: 01 December 1949
• Subject Matter: Articles

646

sure

of

a

valid

system

of

ethical

norms,

that

has

any

chance

of

solving

the

problems

of

today.

His

negative

case

is

an

argument

designed

to

show

the

moral

uncertainty

and

bankruptcy

of

liberal

humanitarianism,

that

is,

of

the

complex

of

thought

that

centers

on

positivism,

utilitarianism,

and

pragmatism.

On

the

positive

side,

the

author

contends

that

certainty

in

ethical

knowledge

is

possible,

and

that

only

with

such

a

rational

cer-

tainty

can

any

set

of

ethical

ideas

have

validity.

The

body

of

ethical

doc-

trines

he

believes

to

be

true

are

derived

from

historic,

theistic

philo-

sophy,

or

historic

Christian

ethical

theory.

In

this

connection,

his

state-

ments

as

to

what

natural

law

theory

is

not

should

be

of

value

to

those

who

refute

these

ideas

with

an

exposition

that

is

often

irrelevant

to

what

natural

law

thinkers

believe.

The

heart

of

the

constructive

case

presented

by

the

author

is

a

dis-

cussion

of

two

problems,

the

political

function

of

violence

and

the

in-

tricate

relation

of

authority

and

liberty.

In

contrast

with

much

liberal

thought,

Hillenbrand

is

not

convinced

that

the

victories

of

democracy,

truth,

progress,

and

liberty

are

inevitable.

Thus,

he

does

not

claim

&dquo;that

modern

man

will

actually

return

to

that

general

acceptance

of

morality

which

alone

makes

possible

the

maximum

control

of

power

in

accordance

with

non-selfish

standards

of

justice

and

charity&dquo;

(p.

198).

However,

such

is

his

hope,

and

it

is

the

reason

for

the

development

of

his

argument.

University

of

Illinois.

FRANCIS

G.

WILSON.

Power

Politics.

BY

MARTIN

WIGHT.

(London

and

New

York:

Royal

In-

stitute

of

International

Affairs.

1949.

Pp.

66.

$.50.)

This

reprint

of

a

pamphlet

first

issued

in

1946

suggests

that

Power

Politics

is

not

conducive

to

peace;

that

&dquo;national

honour&dquo;

has

been

eclipsed

by

&dquo;national

interest&dquo;;

and

that

stress

on

right

as

in

the

middle

ages

should

again

be

the

basis

of

international

policy.

The

historical

de-

velopment

and

utility

of

these

ideas

receive

more

stress

than

does

specu-

lation

on

the

correct

or

feasible

solution

of

current

international

issues.

Thought

provoking

definitions

of

political

terms

such

as

&dquo;vital

inter-

ests,&dquo;

&dquo;balance

of

power&dquo;

and

&dquo;buffer

zones&dquo;

make

the

pamphlet

useful.

The

fine

standards

of

scholarship

and

readability

which

characterize

the

Institute’s

publications

are

well

maintained,

although

much

of

the

illus-

trative

data

indicates

that

the

author

wrote

for

British

readers.

University of Utah.

W.

HAROLD

DALGLIESH.