ABSTRACT
Power is the ability to act. It is the ability to both give and receive, build and destroy, do good and do harm. The power of reason is the ability to think. A rational approach to foreign policy is rationalism in international relations. Postmodern theory emphasizes the value of diversity. Rationalism in international relations, an evolutionary theory of international relations, is based on seven principles. Foreign policy must be based on professional diplomacy. The art of diplomacy consists in effectively looking for common interests and values in situations of difference. A characteristic of the righteous person is an aversion to quarrels and wars. In a situation where there exists a diversity of many states, the stability of the international system is ensured by a hegemon, if it is decent. Our common future as humankind depends on our appreciation of the diversity of cultures and of mutually complementary values, and on their protection.
