Practicing Statecraft

Abstract

So far I have delineated what I consider to be the perennial and more or less permanent aspects of KWT’s “public philosophy” and how they manifest themselves in practice, particularly in the areas of philanthropy, responsible citizenry, theorizing, and practicing education, and, finally, in his theorizing about politics and international relations. What about the practice of politics and international relations? As I have mentioned, KWT avoided direct involvement in political office, yet I pointed out that he considered attention to practice an epistemological duty. Further, he argued that temporal and spatial factors condition measures in public life and pointed out that one has to be mindful of what he called the “winds of change” when considering politics and international issues. One may ask, therefore, how he would have handled a particular issue had he been in a position of responsibility.

Decision making is less the search for answers in a handbook and more the instinct for what is wise and right … It can mean settling for the less, not the more, harmful alternatives. Judgment is coherence in understanding relationships.

—KWT (B1992: 247)