Noopolitik

In political science, Noopolitik, formed by a combination of the Greek words νόος nóos ("knowledge") and πολιτικός politikós (πολίτης polítēs "citizen", from πόλις pólis "city"), is the network-based geopolitics of knowledge. The term was invented by defense experts John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt in a 1999 RAND corporation study and often appears in connection with that of smart power.^[1][2]

Difference with Realpolitik

Noopolitics is an informational strategy of manipulating international processes through the forming in the general public, by means of mass media, of positive or negative attitudes to the external or internal policies of a state or block of states, to create a positive or negative image of ideas and promulgated moral values.^[3]

Noopolitik differs from realpolitik. Although realpolitik is commonly equated with hard power, and seemingly noopolitik with soft power, both are broader in their embodiment of a form of organization. Specifically, realpolitik is not limited to hard power and coercion, but embodies a hierarchical form of organization. Likewise, noopolitik is not limited to reliance on knowledge and soft power, but embodies a networked form of organization.

Versus Foucault's Biopolitics

Tiziana Terranova (2007) describes the use of the term 'noopolitics' by Maurizio Lazzarato (2004). "'Noopolitics' supplements the biopolitics of the species described by Foucault" (Terranova 2007, 139). "Against the militarization of communication accomplished by new techniques of power, it is possible to think about the constitution of such publics as counter-weapons, which work by expressing, inventing and creating possible worlds where the moment of resistance (the 'no' by which one refuses to watch, listen or believe) is the starting point for an affirmative activity" (Terranova 2007, 140). Noyer & Juanals (2008) have also discussed Noopolitik as a means of social control.^[4] especially in connection with RAND's Byting back program which was published as research into counter insurgency.^[5]

In the knowledge economy and the BRICS

While the term initially appeared in association with the concept of the US Revolution in Military Affairs, Noopolitik has also come to describe an interest in the knowledge economy and in particular innovation and R&D to leverage growth and political reach in international relations. Thus Noopolitik may be defined as the use of innovation and knowledge to leverage political intercourses by other means at the international level. Such "knowledge race" may be either a means of asserting political independence or of generating a sudden gap in the geopolitical balance of power. The attitude of the People's Republic of China and the ANZUS in the Pacific Ocean has been described as such by Idriss J. Aberkane (2011).

For the People's Republic of China

Professor Li Xiguang of Tsinghua University described the stakes of Smart power for the People's Republic of China in a 2010 article on Noopolitik in the Global Times

“

Soft power is the power of making people love you. Hard power is the ability to making people fear you. Over the last 500 years, all the world powers gained their hegemony through hard power, but the US has gained its hegemony through combining hard power and soft power, both striking at and assimilating its opponents. The US has built its soft power by making its values and political system, such as the US interpretation and definition of democracy, freedom and human rights, into supposedly universal values.[9]

”

Then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during a trip to China in 2009. The encounter was concomitant with the publication of a report on "Smart Power in U.S.-China Relations" by William Sebastian Cohen the Center for Strategic and International Studies^[10]

Idriss J. Aberkane analyzes Noopolitik as a defining stance of the People's Republic of China's economic policy^[11] in which he concludes "Maintaining “Leap and Bound” creativity could be an efficient way for China to neutralize popular frustration. What must be acknowledged is that the PRC has moved from a “growth panacea” policy, to a policy of “knowledge panacea.” This best sums up its Noopolitik."

“

Emphasizing China’s deeply-rooted desire for technological independence, Segal[12] refers to the PRC’s efforts as an “Innovation Wall,” which is the willingness to innovate as independently as possible from the rest of the world to simply and systematically leap ahead of any other country. Needless to say, the scope of the rising fog of war in world economic and R&D competition is particularly daunting for the Euro-Atlantic community. The Chinese phrase for national innovation zizhu chuangxin was notably coined in a 2006 state report titled “Guidelines on National Medium- and Long-Term Program for Science and Technology Development.” If China decides to foster an innovation of its own, and the ideas were published in Mandarin language journals it would provide a barrier against other linguistic communities, and a thicker fog of war might rise in knowledge-based economic warfare.

”

See also

• Holism
• Netpolitik
• Noogenesis
• Noosphere
• Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Sources

• Nikonov Sergey Borisovich, Anna Vitalievna Baichik, Rikka Victorovna Zaprudina, Nikolai Sergeevich Labush, Anna Sergeevna Smolyarova Noopolitics and Information Network Systems // International Review of Management and Marketing, 2015. — Vol. Special Issue for "Media as the Tool: Management of Social Processes", — № 5(Special Issue). — P. 44-48
• Nikonov Sergey Borisovich, Anna Vitalievna Baichik, Anatoli Stepanovich Puiy, Nikolai Sergeevich Labush Noopolitical Aspect of Information Strategies of States // International Review of Management and Marketing, 2015. — Vol. Special Issue for "Media as the Tool: Management of Social Proc esses", — № 5(Special Issue). — P. 121-125
• Nikonov Sergey Borisovich, Baichik Anna Vitalievna, Puiy Anatoli Stepanovich, Labush Nikolai Sergeevich Noopolitical aspect of political defamation // European Journal of Science and Theology, 2015. — Vol. 11, — № 5. — P. 265-275
• Nikonov Sergey Borisovich Information society in its function as an object ofdirected influence of noopolitics // World Applied Sciences Journal, 2013. — Vol. 27, — № 13(A). — P. 241-246
• Nikonov S.B. Noopolitical Aspect of international Journalism // Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 17(1): 21-25.2013
• Nikonov S.B. Noopolitics as a global information strategy LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing GmbH & Co. KG Heinrich-Böcking-Str. 6-8 66121, Saarbrücken, Germany.
• Nikonov S.B. Global information space as an environment of noopolitics / / The world and politics. , 2012. Number 09 (72). URL: http://mir-politika.ru/1608-globalnoe-info...opolitiki.html.
• Nikonov S.B. Noopolitics as a component part of a strategy of state conflict / / European Journal of Social Sciences. , 2012. Number 2 (18). S. 467 - 472. URL: http://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=17696491
• Nikonov S.B. Noopolitics as a tool to promote the economic interests of State / / European Journal of Social Sciences. , 2012. Number 12 (15). S. 482 - 487. URL: http://mir-politika.ru/106-noopolitika-kak...-gosudastv.html
• Nikonov S.B. TV reports «Euronews» as part of noopolitics / / Scientific and practical journal "Modern Science: Current Issues of theory and practice." Series "Humanities"., 2011. Number 1. pp. 33 – 37. URL: http://www.vipstd.ru/nauteh/index.php/--gn01-11/205-a
• Baichik A.V.., Nikonov S.B.. Noopolitik as global information strategy // Vestnik St.Petersburg University, Ser. 9. 2012. Issue. I. p. 207-213
• John Arquilla & David Ronfeldt: "The Emergence of Noopolitik: Toward an American Information Strategy", Rand 1999
• Terranova, Tiziana . “Futurepublic: On Information Warfare, Bio-racism and Hegemony as Noopolitics.” Theory, Culture & Society 24.3 (2007): 125-145.
• Lazzarato, Maurizio (2004) La politica dell’evento. Cosenza: Rubbettino.

Further reading

• Mohammad Ganjidoost: "", USC Center on Public Diplomacy, July 24, 2006.
• David Ronfeldt and John Arquilla: "The promise of Noöpolitik", First Monday, August, 2007