TEHRAN – South Alabama University Professor Nader Entessar believes that Machiavellianism is dominant in the Middle East. 

“Also, theories of imperialism will also help us better understand the current conditions in the Middle East,” Entessar tells the Tehran Times.

Following is the full text of the interview:

Q: Has the dominant politics in the Middle East in the recent years been Hobbesian, Kantian or Lockean?

A: I think Machiavellianism is a more apt term to use in this regard.  Also, theories of imperialism will also help us better understand the current conditions in the Middle East.

Q: Don’t you consider the collapse of the bipolar system as the main reason behind the crises in the Middle East?

A: Certainly the bipolar international system, notwithstanding all its shortcomings, had its own logic of stability.  Today's international system is still searching for a workable replacement for the bipolarity of the Cold War era.  To use a term used by the late Hedley Bull, the  Australian theorist of international relations, today's international system is indeed an anarchic system in search of an stable order.

Q: French President Hollande has called for greater role for France in Syria. Does this mean that the EU is seeking a stronger voice in international politics?

A: Obviously the EU prefers Europe to play a strong role in shaping the post-Cold War international system.  However, today's Europe is not as dominating a player in world affairs as it had once been.  Europe's power is being overshadowed by other emerging forces outside the European continent.  Furthermore, in foreign relations, Europe has generally become an appendage of U.S. foreign policy, and thus it cannot be viewed as a truly independent actor.