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Political Philosophy Is the Realist argument that a hegemony is necessary to maintain stability in the international system correct? Almost in every period of the world history, a strong political actor has appeared that shaped the entire international system, power balance and moral principles according to their own values and principles. After the Second World War US became the most powerful state in the world and established its hegemony on the big part of the world.
After the Cold War, United States was maintaining its strong hegemony unarguably for a decade. In the period between 1 991 and 2001, America as a unique superpower on the system conducted benign hegemony as a conceptualized policy. Rather than imposing by force, to prevent potential rival powers it implemented an approach Of protecting the rights Of other States, which provides security and political and economic stability at the global level. After September 11/ 2001, the US strategy succeeded a significant shift in global politics.
Bush administration, rather than benign hegemony which takes other actors’ assets and preferences into account in the system, formed a new unilateralist treated around American self-interests. The optimistic atmosphere of stability and peace of post -Cold War era turned into a chaotic situation. Simultaneously, new arguments began in international society towards reshaping the new world order. The vast question is whether the world needs a hegemony power for stability and peace or establishing collective international institutions is the best solution to keep world safe and stable.
Ian Clark asserts that the hegemony is an international legitimate structure which gives leading statue to a powerful state to manage and impose the ales on the allies and non-allies states in order to protect the common interest of allies’ states and the world peace and stability. He defines hegemony as;” an institutionalized practice of special rights and responsibilities conferred on a state with the resources to lead” (2009: 24).
According to the principles of realist stream, existence of a hegemony power is essential to keep the stability in international politics and a free trade among states. The old tradition approach on concept of security was based on state function and military issues. By the end of cold war, a significant change observed on the concept, a widespread public opinion began to emerge which considers that the concept should be examined in a wide perspective and ought not to be minimized to the military dimension only.
Undoubtedly political theories play a key role in the arguments, especially realism as the traditional advocate of hegemony and power politics as this essay attempts to define its position in the argument. According to Gulping, Hegemonic state imposes its own rule over the other States with its irresistible power to ensure stability in the world.