Diplomacy and Changing Polities

Abstract

Diplomacy we have argued in Chapter 2, emerges whenever and wherever polities with distinct identities see the need to establish regular exchange relations while keeping their separate identities. Moreover, diplomacy contributes to the recognition and reproduction of similar polities while delegitimizing other types of political formations, as discussed in the previous chapter. By the same token, diplomacy mediates, and reflects a particular combination of, universalism and particularism.