What is meant by national interest: An Exploration of Meanings and Dimensions

National Interest:

What is meant by national interest: An Exploration of Meanings and Dimensions

The concept of national interest keeps changing according to the circumstances and events. It is a vague and ambiguous term. A universal interpretation of this ideology is not possible. Generally, policy and resources are chosen pragmatically for the national interest and many forms are adopted. Such as military interest, economic interest, political interest, and issues on which society is built, such as freedom, security and fundamental issues related to values, national interest must be agreed upon. As long as a nation does not know what its interests are and prepares itself to protect them through policy and action, its destiny in foreign affairs will either be determined by chance or other nations will determined.

 

Definition of National Interest:

What is meant by national interest: An Exploration of Meanings and Dimensions

Political thinkers see national-interest from their own point of view some of them are as follows:


Robert Osgood:

 

"A state of affairs valued for its benefit to the Nation".

 

W.Rostow:


“The National Interest is the conception which nations apply in trying to influence the world environment to their advantages.” 

 

   



Charles Larche and Abdul Saad:

 

“Such objectives for  which a nation or a state ensure their implementation.”

 

J.Morgenthou:

 

“National interest refers to the political traditions and total cultural context living within which a nation forms its foreign policy.”

 

Evans Hughes:

 

“Foreign policies are not built on experiences, but they are results on the basis of an urgent need or historical scenario, of practical conceptions of manifest and abiding national interest.”

 

 A.T.Mahan:

 

“Self-interest is not only a law but also a fundamental reason for national policy. It is futile to expect governments to act on any basis other than the national interest.”

 

Brooking:

 

“The goals that a nation strives to achieve.”


 



Types of National Interest:

 

There are 11types of national interests.

 

1:- Primary Interests:

What is meant by national interest: An Exploration of Meanings and Dimensions

Among the primary interests of the nation is the protection of the nation's physical, geographical, political and cultural identity, its survival against external attacks and encroachments. Apart from this, there can be no reconciliation or any kind of bargaining in the matter of these interests. Every nation protects these ideas even at the risk of its own life.


 It covers the following interests:


i:- Collective national interests.

ii:- State political interests.

iii:- National identity, life and property and fundamental rights.

iv:- Civilization, social and cultural interests.

 

2:- Secondary Interests:

 

These interests help in achieving the primary interests. Protecting the rights of its citizens abroad, privileges for the diplomatic representatives of the country and their care in all respects are called secondary interests of the state.

 

3:- General Interests:

 

Interests which a nation brings into use constructively to benefit the majority of a nation over a wide geographical area.

 

 



These interests are as follows:

 

i. Economics.

ii. Trade interests.

iii. Styles of Diplomacy.

iv. International Law.

 

4:- Variable Interests:

 

Interests which are not permanent and these interests keep changing according to time and circumstances. The nature of interest is different at a time and in other situations and events the preferences of interests would have taken a different direction.

In each phase, the interests which the state accepts as national interests at a particular time are called variable interests.


5:- Specific Interests:

What is meant by national interest: An Exploration of Meanings and Dimensions

Such interests come under the category of positive interests which are not included in general interests. Often a change in time and distance changes the composition of these interests.

 

6:- Permanent Interests:

 

Permanent interests remain relatively stable over long periods of time. Although there has been a changing in them over time, but in spite of all this, the process of change in these interests is completed very slowly.

 

7:- Honorary Interests:

 

Interests which, although not uniform among nations, but are capable of forming the basis of agreement on specific issues.

 

8:- Similar Interests:

What is meant by national interest: An Exploration of Meanings and Dimensions

Interests that are common between states and nations are called common interests. The point of view of nations on these interests is often the same.

 

9:- Conflicted Interests:

 

Conflicting interests are neither honorary nor identical, but it is worth noting that today's conflicting interests may turn into common interests in whole diplomacy through accidents or the passing of time. Among these interests, the interest of one state is not acceptable to another state. A conflict can be found in nations for the sake of gaining interests.

 

10:- Sub National Interests:

 

Such interests are called group or superficial interests which are superficial in scope. Representation of these interests is done by ethnic or economic groups. These interests are generally compatible with national interests.

 

11:- Super National Interests:

What is meant by national interest: An Exploration of Meanings and Dimensions

Super national interests are considered essential to the identity and survival of the state. They are usually associated with an ideology or belief.

 

 

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