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Article
The Civilised Self and the Barbaric Other: Imperial Delusions of Order and the Challenges of Human Security
Third World Quarterly. Volume 27, Number 5 (2006), p. 855-869.
  • Ikechi Mgbeoji, Osgoode Hall Law School of York University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2006
Abstract

In the aftermath of the military conflicts of 1936 - 45, there seemed to be a global renunciation of war as an instrument of state policy. Shortly thereafter, however, decades of ideological attrition between the major powers and the inherent perversion of postcolonial states reduced the solemn declarations of 1945 to ineffectual rhetoric. Underpinning the decline and demise of a human-centred approach to global peace and security is the enduring notion of the civilised self and the barbaric other. The polarisation of humanity between camps of the savage and the civilised has continued to animate international policy making despite denials. This paper argues that a rejection of the polarities is imperative for the success of the emergent concept of human security.

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Citation Information
Mgbeoji, Ikechi. "The Civilised Self and the Barbaric Other: Imperial Delusions of Order and the Challenges of Human Security." Third World Quarterly 27.5 (2006): 855-869.