The emergence of noopolitik: toward an American information strategy

183 Pages·1999·0.53 MB·English

by  John Arquilla, David F. Ronfeldt, United States. Dept. of Defense. Office of the Secretary of Defense, National Defense Research Institute (U.S.)

The Emergence of Noopolitik : Toward an
title:
American Information Strategy
author: Arquilla, John.; Ronfeldt, David F.
publisher: RAND
isbn10 | asin: 0833026984
print isbn13: 9780833026989
ebook isbn13: 9780585243481
language: English
International relations, Information society,
Telematics--Social aspects, United States--
subject
Foreign relations--1989- , Information
policy--United States.
publication date: 1999
lcc: JZ1254.A77 1999eb
ddc: 327
International relations, Information society,
subject: Telematics--Social aspects, United States--
Foreign relations--1989- , Information
policy--United States.
The research described in this report was sponsored by the Office of the
Secretary of Defense (OSD). The research was conducted in RAND's
National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and
development center supported by the OSD, the Joint Staff, the unified
commands, and the defense agencies under Contract DASW01-95-C-
0059.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Arquilla, John.
The emergence of noopolitik : toward an American information strategy
/ John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt.
p. cm.
"Prepared for the Office of the Secretary of Defense by RAND's National
Defense Research Institute."
"MR-1033-OSD."
Includes bibliographical references (p. ).
ISBN 0-8330-2698-4
1. International relations. 2. Information society. 3. TelematicsSocial
aspects. 4. United StatesForeign relations1989 . 5. Information
policyUnited States. I. Ronfeldt, David F. II. United States. Dept. of
Defense. Office of the Secretary of Defense. III. National Defense
Research Institute (U.S.). IV. Title.
JZ1254.A77 1999
327dc21 99-10120
CIP
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Page i
The Emergence of Noopolitik
Toward an American Information Strategy
John Arquilla
David Ronfeldt
Prepared for the
Office of the Secretary of Defense
Approved for public release;
distribution unlimited
Page iii
Preface
This report builds on what we have accomplished so far in a set of
studies, since 1991, about future military affairs (cyberwar), societal-
level conflict and crime (netwar), and information strategy (see the
Bibliography for relevant citations). Here we advance the idea of
"noopolitik" (nü-oh-poh-li-teek), a new approach to statecraft based
principally on the primacy of ideas, values, laws, and ethics, as
enabled by the emergence of the noosphere (an all-encompassing
realm of the mind), to extend our research agenda in a new direction.
Primarily of interest to U.S. policymakers and strategists, this report
will also interest those in academia and think tanks concerned with
how the information revolution is altering the conditions for and
conduct of strategy.
This study was prepared for a project on information strategy. The
project was sponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of
Defense/Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence
(OASD/C3I), and was conducted within both the Acquisition and
Technology Policy Center and the International Security and Defense
Policy Center of RAND's National Defense Research Institute
(NDRI). NDRI is a federally funded research and development center
sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff,
the Unified Commands, and the defense agencies.
John Arquilla David Ronfeldt
U.S. Naval Postgraduate RAND
School
Monterey, CA 93943 Santa Monica, CA 90407-
2138
[phone] [phone]
Page v
Contents
Preface iii
Figure and Tables vii
Summary ix
Acknowledgments xiii
Chapter One 1
Whither "Information Strategy"?
Chapter Two 7
Recognition of the Noosphere
Why "Information" Matters 7
Three Concepts of Information-Based Realms 9
Cyberspace 10
Infosphere 11
Noosphere 12
Comparisons Lead to a Preference for the Noosphere 15
Concept
Emergence and Construction of the Noosphere 20
Chapter Three 27
Emergence of Noopolitik
Grand Strategic Shifts at the Turn of the Century 27
From Realpolitik to NoopolitikA Comparison of the 28
Paradigms
Looming Limitations of Realpolitik 29
Liberal InternationalismA Transitional Paradigm 32
Noopolitik in Theory and Practice 34
Trends That Invite Noopolitik 35
Page vi
Mutual Relationship Between Realpolitik and 44
Noopolitik
Fostering Noopolitik: Some Guidelines and Tasks 46
Chapter Four 55
International Cooperation and Conflict
Information Strategy and Global Cooperation 55
The Economic-Legal Realm 57
Military-Security Affairs 59
The Sociopolitical Arena 61
Building Global Cooperation 62
Information Strategy in Crisis and Conflict 64
The Role of Public Diplomacy 65
Strategic Information Doctrine (SID) 66
Chapter Five 71
Moving Ahead
A New Turn of Mind 71
U.S. Hegemony Required to Consolidate the 74
Noosphere?
Bibliography 77