Definition Of Diplomacy

Definition of Diplomacy and its elements
In the perspective of English etymology, the word ‘diplomacy’ derives quite directly from an ancient Greek word ‘diploma’ which consisted from two parts, ‘diplo’ meant ‘fold in two’ and ‘ma’ meant an object.Initially it use to be a passport or diplomatic note that made by two folding metal pieces so that could be used to prove the identity of the holders and granted rights like permission to proceed. The word was not used in the processing or adjustment of international relations until the 18th century. French people began to call those officials who were dealing with foreign envoys diplomats, refers to the people who is engaged in the negotiations and the representatives of the state governments. In

British diplomat Satow had said that diplomacy is the use of intelligence and tact to deal with the official relations between independent state government. Also Amstutz stated his view on diplomacy as a process in his work International Conflict and Cooperation: An Introduction to World Politics that diplomacy is the mutual decision and cooperation between countries and it a continuous process rather than a contingency. It essentially is a part of communication and interaction between states.(Amstutz,pp280-281) On the other hand, in order to carry out particular foreign policies and achieve its own national interest, states do need some appropriate means to

As a tool, diplomacy could provide a channel to seek common interests and help all actors to find out mutual objectives. Through negotiation, diplomacy could mediate competition and reduce the possibility of conflict. However, using the diplomatic approach to implement foreign policies is usually conditional. Once one involved party decides to suspend the negotiation and choose the violent approach, diplomacy itself cannot be conducted anymore. And the occurrence of war means the objective of both sides is not harmonious, that is to say, in practice, diplomacy could function only if there is a potential possibility of compromise during negotiations. In most cases, like Morgenthau stated in Politics among Nation, the primary objective of diplomacy is the promotion of the national interest by peaceful mean. Actually, from my point of view, diplomacy could be involved with violence, more accurately, state power especially hard power is the backing of diplomatic behaviors. Historical facts had already told us the disadvantage of dealing from weakness in diplomacy. Take the case of China, in the one century after the first opium war, China had suffered from Western imperial powers because of its vulnerable military power and had to end up in signing series of unequal treaties. The world structure had changed a lot with it back to 19 century, but the natural