A Rhetorical Foundation of International Negotiations: Callieres on Peace Politics

Abstract:     
The negotiation theory that François de Callières (1645-1716) built promotes peace politics in the international arena. First, the paper develops the political rationality that prevailed in the 17th Century, essentially under the realm of Louis XIV, whom Callières served as a diplomat. European power politics is dominated by the recurrence of wars, interrupted by truces only. In that context, negotiation is crucial, but essentially conceived as a means at the disposal of a bellicose agenda. Reversely, Callières is shown to propose a more ambitious alternative vision for future negotiators, and suggests they could be the key-players in peace politics, as long as the use of powerful persuasion serves legitimate ends. Princes should exhaust all the means of reason and persuasion that negotiation offers before waging wars. Then, according to Callières, European nations, with the interdependence of their interests could form one republic aspiring to common prosperity.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 28

Keywords: Negotiation Theory, Diplomatic Negotiation, Callières, Louis XIV, War politics, Peace politics, Persuasion, Rhetoric, Interdependence of interests, Europe

JEL Classification: C7, D74

working papers series