Nayef Al-Rodhan
Encyclopedia
Nayef Al-Rodhan,M.D., Ph.D, is a philosopher
, neuroscientist
, geostrategist
, and author. He is a Senior Member of St. Antony’s College at Oxford University, Oxford
, United Kingdom
., Senior Scholar in Geostrategy
and Director of the Programme on the Geopolitics
of Globalisation and Transnational
Security
at the Geneva Center for Security Policy, Geneva
, Switzerland
.
and neuroscientist
. As a medical student, he was mentored and influenced by the renowned neurologist
, Lord John Walton of Detchant
. He trained in neurosurgery
and conducted neuroscience
research at the Mayo Clinic
, Rochester, Minnesota
in the United States. He became Chief Resident in neurosurgery
and was influenced by Dr. Thoralf M. Sundt, Dr. David Piepgrass, and Dr. Patrick J Kelly At the Mayo Clinic
and obtained a Ph.D. for his work on the Characterization of Opioid and Neurotensin Receptor Subtypes in the Brain with Respect to Antinociception.
In 1993, on a fellowship from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons
, he joined the Department of neurosurgery
at the Yale University School of Medicine as a Fellow in epilepsy
surgery and molecular neuroscience under the direction of Dr. Dennis Spencer.
In 1994, Nayef Al-Rodhan became a Fellow at the Department of Neurosurgery
at the Massachusetts General Hospital
at Harvard Medical School
, where he worked on the study of neuropeptide
s, molecular genetics
, and neuronal regeneration
. In 1995, he was appointed to the faculty of the Harvard Medical School
and while at Harvard and the Massachusetts General Hospital
, he founded the Neurotechnology
Program with Nobel Prize
winner Dr. James E. Muller
. Working with Dr. Robert Martuza, Nayef Al-Rodhan also founded the Laboratories for Cellular Neurosurgery and Neurosurgical Technology at the Department of Neurosurgery
of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
, and the Annual Fellowship Prize of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons
.
and international relations
. Through several publications, he has pioneered the application of neuroscience and the neuro-behavioural consequences of the neurochemical
and cellular mechanisms that underpin emotion
s, amorality
, egoism
s, fear
, greed
, and dominance
, into the analysis and conceptualization of trends in contemporary geopolitics
, global security, national security
, transcultural
security, and war
and peace
.
In 2006, Nayef Al-Rodhan joined the Geneva Center for Security Policy in Geneva, Switzerland, as a Senior Scholar in geostrategy
and Director of the Geopolitics
of Globalisation and Transnational Security Programme.
In 2009, Nayef Al-Rodhan became a Senior Member of St. Antony’s College, Oxford University where he analyses, amongst other things, critical turning points in the Arab-Islamic world and their current and future regional and global geopolitical relevance.
His current geostrategy
interests include: Geopolitics
of the Middle East
; sustainable national and global security; geopolitics of outer space
and strategic technologies; and global strategic cascading risks.
His philosophical interests include:global justice
; human dignity and international
order; shared history of humanity
and transcultural
security and synergy; philosophy of sustainable history and the dignity
of man; history of ideas
; neurophilosophy
of human nature
and its implications for war, peace and moral and political cooperation
between ideologies, states and cultures.
Nayef Al-Rodhan published his neuro-chemically based theory of human nature
in 2008. In this, he argues that the enduring assumption that human behaviour is governed by innate morality
and reason is at odds with the persistence of human deprivation, injustice, brutality, inequality and conflict. He draws on a wide range of philosophical, psychological
and evolutionary approaches to human nature as well as neuroscientific research. He argues that human behaviour is governed primarily by "emotional self-interest" and that the human mind is a "predisposed tabula rasa
". Al-Rodhan argues that "most human beings are innately neither moral
nor immoral but rather amoral
and that circumstances and needs will determine the survival value of humankind's moral compass". He suggests that this has profound implications for the re-ordering of governance
mechanisms at all levels with a strong emphasis on the role of society
and the global system in relation to stability, security
, peace
, cooperation
, justice
, human security
, identity construction, transcultural relations, conflict, ethnocentrism
, xenophobia
, morality and global governance
. Al-Rodhan’s theory of human nature
challenges the views of Hobbes and Rousseau and lays the foundation for a hopeful and pragmatic approach. It also advocates that the moral compass of man can be influenced positively by constructive behaviors of the society
and its various mechanisms and frameworks. He also proposes a concept he calls “Fear-Induced Pre-emptive aggression” and cautions us against being complacent about the virtues of human nature. This book is entitled: "emotional amoral egoism": A Neurophilosophical Theory of Human Nature and its Universal Security Implications (Berlin, LIT, 2008).
Commenting on this book, Professor Michael Frieden from Oxford University said: "This ambitious and wide-ranging book offers both a synthesis of philosophical and scientific approaches to human nature and a strong plea for a set of universal human values. Its attraction lies in its forceful argument that the emotional aspects of human nature should be taken seriously if we are to design effective systems of political and moral cooperation, and that our political thinking needs to be inspired by the neuro-psychological consequences of our brain chemistry."
International Relations Theory: "Symbiotic Realism"
In 2007, Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan published his symbiotic realism theory of international relations
that best fits a connected, interdependent and globalized world. Symbiotic realism expands the number of unitary actors in global politics beyond state and non-state actors and allows for non-conflictual competition while allowing absolute gain in a symbiotic yet realist framework. Symbiotic realism theory also posits that international
peace and security can only be attained through a governance
structure that ensures a mutually beneficial (Symbiotic) coexistence for a myriad of actors as well as the fulfilment of human needs everywhere. The book is entitled: Symbiotic Realism: A Theory of International Relations in an Instant and an Interdependent World (Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2007).
Commenting on this book, Ambassador Theodor Winkler of the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (DCAF), said: "This is a rich, thoroughly researched, and masterly book that pushes the theory of international relations significantly forward by integrating such important aspects as gender, climate change, access to natural resources, culture, and civilization to the existing conceptual body. It is marked by a deep humanity and cultural tolerance - as well as much common sense. In short: an important contribution to the international debate.".
Diplomacy and Geostrategy: "Neo-statecraft and Meta-geopolitics"
In 2009, Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan proposed the concept of "Meta-geopolitics". The Meta-Geopolitics paradigm proposes a multi-dimensional view of power
that accounts for seven capacities of states and assess their relative strengths and weaknesses and enables predictions about their ability to project power. This also includes his concept of "Just Power" as the only sustainable kind of power in the service of the national interest. “Just Power” employs soft, hard and smart power tools. He also proposes a geostrategic "Trip-Wire Pivotal Corridor (TPC)" which accounts for the world’s most volatile geopolitical area: a corridor that runs from north to south between 30 and 75 degrees east. The corridor includes countries from three continents: Africa
, Europe
and Asia
as well as the pivotal Middle East
. In the east, it incorporates the disputed territories of Jammu
and Kashmir
, as well as China’s Xinjiang
province. At its western edge, it includes the Horn of Africa
and the entire east coast of Africa. The corridor also includes the Arctic Circle
in the north and Antarctica in the south. Al-Rodhan argued that, without stability in the TPC, there can be no stability or cooperation at the international level. This book is entitled Neo-statecraft and Meta-Geopolitics: Reconciliation of Power, Interests and Justice in the 21st Century (Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2009).
Commenting on this book, Professor, François Géré
, Director of Research at Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle and President of the French Institute for Strategic Analysis (IFAS), Paris, France, said: "This book offers a refreshing and ambitious re-examination of the nature of statecraft and geopolitics
and contains a number of relevant concepts that can be translated into brand-new research and ambitious policy goals. Building on a number of his previous concepts, the author continues a remarkable endeavour aimed at updating and adapting traditional geopolitical perceptions. Step by step, brick after brick, the author is clearly building a major comprehensive contribution to strategic thinking and diplomacy."
Ambassador Rolf Ekéus
, Chairman of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Stockholm, Sweden, also said: "This book provides a carefully crafted description of how the international system is being transformed and defines the challenges facing contemporary statecraft in handling that transformation. Nayef Al-Rodhan has undertaken this enormous task by defining the concept of meta-geopolitics and addressing potential future problems while making full use of the analytical tools that he has developed. It is a unique and intellectually courageous undertaking that will help us gain deeper insights into the many dimensions of current and future security challenges."
Philosophy of History: Sustainable History and the Dignity of Man
In 2009, Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan also published his Philosophy of history
, in which he discusses the role of good governance
and the ever-present tension between (human nature
attributes) and (human dignity needs) in the sustainability of history
and that of any political order. In this book, he advocates his concept of "Civilizational Triumphalism through his "Ocean Model of One Human Civilization". He also insists that the attainment of dignity for all, at all times and under all circumstances, is what drives/propels human history and ensure its sustainability. In this, Nayef Al-Rodhan suggests that "a good governance paradigm that limits excesses of human nature and ensures an atmosphere of happiness and productivity by promoting reason and dignity is required". This book is entitled Sustainable History and the Dignity of Man: A Philosophy of History and Civilisational Triumph (Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2009).
Commenting on this book, President Jimmy Carter
, 39th President of the United States
said: "Dr. Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan challenges us to grapple with the meaning of history and how it could lead to the improvement of the human condition. This book presents his views on how a sustainable history based on human dignity could be achieved. In his opinion, this requires good governance, based on “reason, security, human rights, accountability, transparency, justice, opportunity, innovation and inclusiveness.” I agree, and I hope that the path laid out in this book attracts many followers."
Lord Giddens of Southgate, UK House of Lords
and Former President of London School of Economics
also said: "No-one seeking to understand the modern condition can afford to ignore Dr Al-Rodhan's inspiring book, a profound analysis of the core values around which effective global governance
can be built and sustained."
Theory of Knowledge: "Neuro-rational Physicalism" Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan also proposed a Theory of knowledge called, "Neuro-rational Physicalism NRP". Al-Rodhan's theory of knowledge recognises the role of interpretation, sense-data and reason in the acquisition of knowledge
and that knowledge is to some extent indeterminate. He suggests that knowledge may also be temporally, spatially and perhaps culturally constrained and that all energy and matter are physical, even if unobservable with our current technologies and knowhow, making their existence "possible truths subject to proof". He adds that emotional acts, cognition
and all other thought processes are also physical and, as such, material.
This was included in his philosophy of history book Sustainable History and the Dignity of Man: A Philosophy of History and Civilisational Triumph (Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2009).
Global Security Paradigm: "The Multi-Sum Security Principle"
Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan advocated a "Multi-Sum Security Principle" that promotes win-win cooperative security interactions between states and cultures based on global justice
. This principle insists that the promotion of global justice should be central to global politics
, not for altruistic reasons, but in order to achieve sustainable interests of states and cultures. This book is entitled The Five Dimensions of Global Security: Proposal for a Multi-sum Security Principle (Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2007).
Politics of Emerging Strategic Technologies: "Inevitable Transhumanism"
Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan proposed his concept of "Inevitable Transhumanism
", where he argues that human enhancement
and the future evolution into transhumans is inevitable. He suggests that this is so because of our own human nature attributes namely (emotionality
, amorality
and egoism
) that will inevitably push us towards that end. To prepare for these potential existential threats, Nayef Al-Rodhan calls on the global community to urgently establish strict moral
and legal guidelines that balance the need for innovation with the guarantee of dignity
for all. In addition to human enhancement, he also analyses the interplay between emerging strategic technologies, geopolitics
and national power
in the same book. The book is entitled The Politics of Emerging Strategic Technologies: Implications for Geopolitics, Human Enhancement and Human Destiny (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011).
Commenting on this book, Dr. James Lewis
, Director and Senior Fellow, Technology and Public Policy Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
(CSIS), Washington, D.C.
, United States, said: "This is a fascinating account of the interplay of new technologies and national power
. It goes beyond mechanistic estimates to explore social and political consequences of a world reshaped by technological change. The discussion of human enhancement through drugs or genetic manipulation is engrossing and raises new and difficult problems, both political and ethical, for what will soon be a very different world. The scope of the book, with its discussion of a full range of new technologies of consequences, makes it unique and insightful as a guide to one of the fundamental forces that will reshape international politics."
Professor Giovanni De Micheli, Director of the Electrical Engineering Institute and Integrated Systems Centre at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland, also said:"This book takes a broad look at emerging technologies
and their role in enabling humanity to further its evolution. Nayef Al-Rodhan comprehensively addresses the key trends of these strategic technologies and the highly relevant geopolitical and strategic implications. Within this framework, he highlights the need for setting transnational
policies in place to ensure ubiquitous human dignity
and the freedom to choose our own destiny. This study is a scientific and breathtaking voyage into the future that will enchant the reader and encourage society to meditate on our human nature and subsequent responsibilities."
“emotional amoral egoism:” A Neurophilosophical Theory of Human Nature and its Universal Security Implications (Berlin: LIT, 2008), ISBN 3825809544; ISBN 978-3825809546
Neo-statecraft and Meta-geopolitics: Reconciliation of Power, Interests and Justice in the 21st Century (Berlin: LIT, 2009), ISBN 3643800061; ISBN 978-3643800060
The Politics of Emerging Strategic Technologies: Implications for Geopolitics, Human Enhancement and Human Destiny (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011), ISBN 0230290841; ISBN 978-0230290846
Potential Global Strategic Catastrophes: Balancing Transnational Responsibilities and Burden-sharing with Sovereignty and Human Dignity, Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan (ed), (Berlin: LIT, 2009), ISBN 3643800045; ISBN 978-3643800046
The Three Pillars of Sustainable National Security in a Transnational World (Berlin: LIT, 2008), ISBN 3643800045 ; ISBN 978-3643800046
Critical Turning Points in the Middle East: 1915 - 2015, Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan et al., (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) ISBN 0230251501, ISBN 978-0230251502
The Five Dimensions of Global Security: Proposal for a Multi-sum Security Principle (Berlin: LIT, 2007) ISBN 382580478X;
ISBN 978-3825804787
Symbiotic Realism: A Theory of International Relations in an Instant and an Interdependent World (Berlin: LIT, 2007), ISBN 382580478X; ISBN 978-3825804787
Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan, “Local Culture and History,” Letters to the International Herald Tribune, International Herald Tribune, November 20, 2009.
Fred Tanner, Nayef Al-Rodhan and Sunjay Chandiramani, GCSP Geneva Paper 9, Security Strategies Today: Trends and Perspectives, GCSP Geneva Papers, November, 2009.
Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan, “Multi-sum Security: Five Distinct Dimensions,” Safeguarding Security in Turbulent Times - ISN Special Report, May 2009.
Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan, “Editorial of GCSP Policy Brief No. 1, Information Technology, Terrorism, and Global Security,” GCSP Policy
Brief Series, Program on the Geopolitical Implications of Globalization and Transnational Security, June 19, 2006.
Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan, T. Sundt, D. Piepgras, D. Nichols, D. Rβfenacht and L. Stevens, “Occlusive Hyperemia: A Theory for the Hemodynamic Complications Following Resection of Intracerebral Arteriovenous Malformations,” Journal of Neurosurgery, Vol. 78, No. 2, February 1993.
T.L. Yaksh, Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan and E. Mjanger, “Sites of Action of Opiates in Production of Analgesia,” in L. Kaufman (ed.), Anasthesia Review 5 (London: Churchill Livingstone, 1988), pp. 254 – 268.
T.L. Yaksh, Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan and T.S. Jensen, “Sites of Action of Opiates in Production of Analgesia,” in H.L. Fields and J.M. Bensson (eds.), Progress in Brain Research, Vol. 77 (Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., 1988), pp. 371 – 393.
Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan, D. Piepgras and T. Sundt, “Transitional Cavernous Aneurysms of the Internal Cartoid Artery,” Neurosurgery, Vol. 33, Issue 6, December 1993, pp. 993 – 998.
R.A. Bronen, R.K. Fulbright, J.H. Kim, S.S. Spencer, D.D. Spencer and Nayef R. Al-Rodhan, “Regional Distribution of MR Findings in Hippocampal Sclerosis,” American Journal of Neuroradiology, Vol. 16, Issue 6, 1995, pp. 1193–1200.
St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
GCSP
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, neuroscientist
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
, geostrategist
Geostrategy
Geostrategy, a subfield of geopolitics, is a type of foreign policy guided principally by geographical factors as they inform, constrain, or affect political and military planning...
, and author. He is a Senior Member of St. Antony’s College at Oxford University, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
., Senior Scholar in Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Geostrategy, a subfield of geopolitics, is a type of foreign policy guided principally by geographical factors as they inform, constrain, or affect political and military planning...
and Director of the Programme on the Geopolitics
Geopolitics
Geopolitics, from Greek Γη and Πολιτική in broad terms, is a theory that describes the relation between politics and territory whether on local or international scale....
of Globalisation and Transnational
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
Security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
at the Geneva Center for Security Policy, Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
Biography
Nayef Al-Rodhan began his career as a neurosurgeonNeurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
and neuroscientist
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
. As a medical student, he was mentored and influenced by the renowned neurologist
Neurologist
A neurologist is a physician who specializes in neurology, and is trained to investigate, or diagnose and treat neurological disorders.Neurology is the medical specialty related to the human nervous system. The nervous system encompasses the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. A specialist...
, Lord John Walton of Detchant
John Walton, Baron Walton of Detchant
John Nicholas Walton, Baron Walton of Detchant is a British politician and Life Peer.-Life:Lord Walton qualified from Newcastle Medical School...
. He trained in neurosurgery
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
and conducted neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
research at the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
, Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
in the United States. He became Chief Resident in neurosurgery
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
and was influenced by Dr. Thoralf M. Sundt, Dr. David Piepgrass, and Dr. Patrick J Kelly At the Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit medical practice and medical research group specializing in treating difficult patients . Patients are referred to Mayo Clinic from across the U.S. and the world, and it is known for innovative and effective treatments. Mayo Clinic is known for being at the top of...
and obtained a Ph.D. for his work on the Characterization of Opioid and Neurotensin Receptor Subtypes in the Brain with Respect to Antinociception.
In 1993, on a fellowship from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Congress of Neurological Surgeons
The Congress of Neurological Surgeons is a professional body representing neurosurgeons, neurosurgical residents, medical students, and allied health professionals...
, he joined the Department of neurosurgery
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
at the Yale University School of Medicine as a Fellow in epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
surgery and molecular neuroscience under the direction of Dr. Dennis Spencer.
In 1994, Nayef Al-Rodhan became a Fellow at the Department of Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
at the Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
at Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
, where he worked on the study of neuropeptide
Neuropeptide
Neuropeptides are small protein-like molecules used by neurons to communicate with each other. They are neuronal signaling molecules, influence the activity of the brain in specific ways and are thus involved in particular brain functions, like analgesia, reward, food intake, learning and...
s, molecular genetics
Molecular genetics
Molecular genetics is the field of biology and genetics that studies the structure and function of genes at a molecular level. The field studies how the genes are transferred from generation to generation. Molecular genetics employs the methods of genetics and molecular biology...
, and neuronal regeneration
Regeneration (biology)
In biology, regeneration is the process of renewal, restoration, and growth that makes genomes, cells, organs, organisms, and ecosystems resilient to natural fluctuations or events that cause disturbance or damage. Every species is capable of regeneration, from bacteria to humans. At its most...
. In 1995, he was appointed to the faculty of the Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
and while at Harvard and the Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
, he founded the Neurotechnology
Neurotechnology
Neurotechnology is any technology that has a fundamental influence on how people understand the brain and various aspects of consciousness, thought, and higher order activities in the brain...
Program with Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner Dr. James E. Muller
James E. Muller
James E. Muller, M.D. is an American cardiologist and medical device executive. He was a member of the faculty of Harvard Medical School for over 25 years, where he studied triggers of coronary artery plaque rupture and sudden cardiac death...
. Working with Dr. Robert Martuza, Nayef Al-Rodhan also founded the Laboratories for Cellular Neurosurgery and Neurosurgical Technology at the Department of Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spine, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.-In the United States:In...
of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
Neuroscience Awards
Nayef Al-Rodhan has received the following research awards: Sir James Spence Prize, the Gibb Prize, the Farquhar-Murray Prize, the American Association of Neurological Surgeon Prize (twice), the Meninger Prize, the Annual Resident Prize of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, the Young Investigator Prize of the American Association of Neurological SurgeonsAmerican Association of Neurological Surgeons
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons is a professional body based in the United States with more than 8,000 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public...
, and the Annual Fellowship Prize of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons
Congress of Neurological Surgeons
The Congress of Neurological Surgeons is a professional body representing neurosurgeons, neurosurgical residents, medical students, and allied health professionals...
.
Neuroscience and International Relations
Since 2002, Nayef Al-Rodhan shifted his scholarly focus to the interplay between neuroscienceNeuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
and international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
. Through several publications, he has pioneered the application of neuroscience and the neuro-behavioural consequences of the neurochemical
Neurochemical
A neurochemical is an organic molecule, such as serotonin, dopamine, or nerve growth factor, that participates in neural activity. The science of neurochemistry studies the functions of neurochemicals.-Prominent neurochemicals:...
and cellular mechanisms that underpin emotion
Emotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
s, amorality
Amorality
Amorality is an absence of, indifference towards, or disregard for moral beliefs. Any entity that is not sentient may be considered amoral. In addition, it can be argued that sentient but non-human creatures, like dogs, have no concept of morality and are therefore amoral...
, egoism
Egoism
* Egotism, an excessive or exaggerated sense of self-importance* Ethical egoism, the doctrine that holds that individuals ought to do what is in their self-interest...
s, fear
Fear
Fear is a distressing negative sensation induced by a perceived threat. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger...
, greed
Greed
Greed is an excessive desire to possess wealth, goods, or abstract things of value with the intention to keep it for one's self. Greed is inappropriate expectation...
, and dominance
Dominance
Dominance may refer to:* Dominance , an aspect of virtual inheritance in the C++ programming language* Dominance , in economics, the degree of inequality in market share distribution...
, into the analysis and conceptualization of trends in contemporary geopolitics
Geopolitics
Geopolitics, from Greek Γη and Πολιτική in broad terms, is a theory that describes the relation between politics and territory whether on local or international scale....
, global security, national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
, transcultural
Transcultural
Transcultural may refer to:*Transcultural psychiatry, also known as Cross-cultural psychiatry*Transculturation, the phenomenon of merging and converging cultures*Transculturalism*Transcultural diffussion...
security, and war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
and peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
.
In 2006, Nayef Al-Rodhan joined the Geneva Center for Security Policy in Geneva, Switzerland, as a Senior Scholar in geostrategy
Geostrategy
Geostrategy, a subfield of geopolitics, is a type of foreign policy guided principally by geographical factors as they inform, constrain, or affect political and military planning...
and Director of the Geopolitics
Geopolitics
Geopolitics, from Greek Γη and Πολιτική in broad terms, is a theory that describes the relation between politics and territory whether on local or international scale....
of Globalisation and Transnational Security Programme.
In 2009, Nayef Al-Rodhan became a Senior Member of St. Antony’s College, Oxford University where he analyses, amongst other things, critical turning points in the Arab-Islamic world and their current and future regional and global geopolitical relevance.
His current geostrategy
Geostrategy
Geostrategy, a subfield of geopolitics, is a type of foreign policy guided principally by geographical factors as they inform, constrain, or affect political and military planning...
interests include: Geopolitics
Geopolitics
Geopolitics, from Greek Γη and Πολιτική in broad terms, is a theory that describes the relation between politics and territory whether on local or international scale....
of the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
; sustainable national and global security; geopolitics of outer space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
and strategic technologies; and global strategic cascading risks.
His philosophical interests include:global justice
Global justice
Global justice is an issue in political philosophy arising from the concern that the world at large is unjust.-Context:The broader philosophical context of the global justice debate, in both its contemporary and historical forms, is the issue of impartiality...
; human dignity and international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
order; shared history of humanity
Humanity
Humanity may refer to:* The human species**The total world population* Human nature, psychological characteristics that all normal humans have in common**Compassion**Empathy**Altruism**Aggression**Fear...
and transcultural
Transcultural
Transcultural may refer to:*Transcultural psychiatry, also known as Cross-cultural psychiatry*Transculturation, the phenomenon of merging and converging cultures*Transculturalism*Transcultural diffussion...
security and synergy; philosophy of sustainable history and the dignity
Dignity
Dignity is a term used in moral, ethical, and political discussions to signify that a being has an innate right to respect and ethical treatment. It is an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable rights...
of man; history of ideas
History of ideas
The history of ideas is a field of research in history that deals with the expression, preservation, and change of human ideas over time. The history of ideas is a sister-discipline to, or a particular approach within, intellectual history...
; neurophilosophy
Neurophilosophy
Neurophilosophy or philosophy of neuroscience is the interdisciplinary study of neuroscience and philosophy. Work in this field is often separated into two distinct methods. The first method attempts to solve problems in philosophy of mind with empirical information from the neurosciences...
of human nature
Human nature
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....
and its implications for war, peace and moral and political cooperation
Cooperation
Cooperation or co-operation is the process of working or acting together. In its simplest form it involves things working in harmony, side by side, while in its more complicated forms, it can involve something as complex as the inner workings of a human being or even the social patterns of a...
between ideologies, states and cultures.
Major Works
Philosophy of Human Nature: "emotional amoral egoism"Nayef Al-Rodhan published his neuro-chemically based theory of human nature
Human nature
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....
in 2008. In this, he argues that the enduring assumption that human behaviour is governed by innate morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
and reason is at odds with the persistence of human deprivation, injustice, brutality, inequality and conflict. He draws on a wide range of philosophical, psychological
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and evolutionary approaches to human nature as well as neuroscientific research. He argues that human behaviour is governed primarily by "emotional self-interest" and that the human mind is a "predisposed tabula rasa
Tabula rasa
Tabula rasa is the epistemological theory that individuals are born without built-in mental content and that their knowledge comes from experience and perception. Generally proponents of the tabula rasa thesis favour the "nurture" side of the nature versus nurture debate, when it comes to aspects...
". Al-Rodhan argues that "most human beings are innately neither moral
Moral
A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim...
nor immoral but rather amoral
Amoral
Amoral may refer to:*Amorality, the absence of morality; for example, a stone, a chair, or the sky may be considered amoral**Specific amorality, the absence of some particular moral standard, principle, code, or knowledge...
and that circumstances and needs will determine the survival value of humankind's moral compass". He suggests that this has profound implications for the re-ordering of governance
Governance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
mechanisms at all levels with a strong emphasis on the role of society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
and the global system in relation to stability, security
Security
Security is the degree of protection against danger, damage, loss, and crime. Security as a form of protection are structures and processes that provide or improve security as a condition. The Institute for Security and Open Methodologies in the OSSTMM 3 defines security as "a form of protection...
, peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
, cooperation
Cooperation
Cooperation or co-operation is the process of working or acting together. In its simplest form it involves things working in harmony, side by side, while in its more complicated forms, it can involve something as complex as the inner workings of a human being or even the social patterns of a...
, justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
, human security
Human security
Human security is an emerging paradigm for understanding global vulnerabilities whose proponents challenge the traditional notion of national security by arguing that the proper referent for security should be the individual rather than the state...
, identity construction, transcultural relations, conflict, ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is the tendency to believe that one's ethnic or cultural group is centrally important, and that all other groups are measured in relation to one's own. The ethnocentric individual will judge other groups relative to his or her own particular ethnic group or culture, especially with...
, xenophobia
Xenophobia
Xenophobia is defined as "an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers or of that which is foreign or strange". It comes from the Greek words ξένος , meaning "stranger," "foreigner" and φόβος , meaning "fear."...
, morality and global governance
Global governance
Global governance or world governance is the political interaction of transnational actors aimed at solving problems that affect more than one state or region when there is no power of enforcing compliance. The modern question of world governance exists in the context of globalization...
. Al-Rodhan’s theory of human nature
Human nature
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....
challenges the views of Hobbes and Rousseau and lays the foundation for a hopeful and pragmatic approach. It also advocates that the moral compass of man can be influenced positively by constructive behaviors of the society
Society
A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations...
and its various mechanisms and frameworks. He also proposes a concept he calls “Fear-Induced Pre-emptive aggression” and cautions us against being complacent about the virtues of human nature. This book is entitled: "emotional amoral egoism": A Neurophilosophical Theory of Human Nature and its Universal Security Implications (Berlin, LIT, 2008).
Commenting on this book, Professor Michael Frieden from Oxford University said: "This ambitious and wide-ranging book offers both a synthesis of philosophical and scientific approaches to human nature and a strong plea for a set of universal human values. Its attraction lies in its forceful argument that the emotional aspects of human nature should be taken seriously if we are to design effective systems of political and moral cooperation, and that our political thinking needs to be inspired by the neuro-psychological consequences of our brain chemistry."
International Relations Theory: "Symbiotic Realism"
In 2007, Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan published his symbiotic realism theory of international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
that best fits a connected, interdependent and globalized world. Symbiotic realism expands the number of unitary actors in global politics beyond state and non-state actors and allows for non-conflictual competition while allowing absolute gain in a symbiotic yet realist framework. Symbiotic realism theory also posits that international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
peace and security can only be attained through a governance
Governance
Governance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
structure that ensures a mutually beneficial (Symbiotic) coexistence for a myriad of actors as well as the fulfilment of human needs everywhere. The book is entitled: Symbiotic Realism: A Theory of International Relations in an Instant and an Interdependent World (Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2007).
Commenting on this book, Ambassador Theodor Winkler of the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of the Armed Forces (DCAF), said: "This is a rich, thoroughly researched, and masterly book that pushes the theory of international relations significantly forward by integrating such important aspects as gender, climate change, access to natural resources, culture, and civilization to the existing conceptual body. It is marked by a deep humanity and cultural tolerance - as well as much common sense. In short: an important contribution to the international debate.".
Diplomacy and Geostrategy: "Neo-statecraft and Meta-geopolitics"
In 2009, Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan proposed the concept of "Meta-geopolitics". The Meta-Geopolitics paradigm proposes a multi-dimensional view of power
Power in international relations
Power in international relations is defined in several different ways. Political scientists, historians, and practitioners of international relations have used the following concepts of political power:...
that accounts for seven capacities of states and assess their relative strengths and weaknesses and enables predictions about their ability to project power. This also includes his concept of "Just Power" as the only sustainable kind of power in the service of the national interest. “Just Power” employs soft, hard and smart power tools. He also proposes a geostrategic "Trip-Wire Pivotal Corridor (TPC)" which accounts for the world’s most volatile geopolitical area: a corridor that runs from north to south between 30 and 75 degrees east. The corridor includes countries from three continents: Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
as well as the pivotal Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. In the east, it incorporates the disputed territories of Jammu
Jammu
Jammu , also known as Duggar, is one of the three administrative divisions within Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state in India.Jammu city is the largest city in Jammu and the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir...
and Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, as well as China’s Xinjiang
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
province. At its western edge, it includes the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
and the entire east coast of Africa. The corridor also includes the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
in the north and Antarctica in the south. Al-Rodhan argued that, without stability in the TPC, there can be no stability or cooperation at the international level. This book is entitled Neo-statecraft and Meta-Geopolitics: Reconciliation of Power, Interests and Justice in the 21st Century (Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2009).
Commenting on this book, Professor, François Géré
François Géré
François Géré, a French historian specializing in geostrategy, is notably the founding president of the French strategic analysis institute, the Institut français d’analyse stratégique...
, Director of Research at Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle and President of the French Institute for Strategic Analysis (IFAS), Paris, France, said: "This book offers a refreshing and ambitious re-examination of the nature of statecraft and geopolitics
Geopolitics
Geopolitics, from Greek Γη and Πολιτική in broad terms, is a theory that describes the relation between politics and territory whether on local or international scale....
and contains a number of relevant concepts that can be translated into brand-new research and ambitious policy goals. Building on a number of his previous concepts, the author continues a remarkable endeavour aimed at updating and adapting traditional geopolitical perceptions. Step by step, brick after brick, the author is clearly building a major comprehensive contribution to strategic thinking and diplomacy."
Ambassador Rolf Ekéus
Rolf Ekéus
Carl Rolf Ekéus is a Swedish diplomat. From 1978 to 1983, he was a representative to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, and he has worked on various other disarmament committees and commissions....
, Chairman of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Stockholm, Sweden, also said: "This book provides a carefully crafted description of how the international system is being transformed and defines the challenges facing contemporary statecraft in handling that transformation. Nayef Al-Rodhan has undertaken this enormous task by defining the concept of meta-geopolitics and addressing potential future problems while making full use of the analytical tools that he has developed. It is a unique and intellectually courageous undertaking that will help us gain deeper insights into the many dimensions of current and future security challenges."
Philosophy of History: Sustainable History and the Dignity of Man
In 2009, Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan also published his Philosophy of history
Philosophy of history
The term philosophy of history refers to the theoretical aspect of history, in two senses. It is customary to distinguish critical philosophy of history from speculative philosophy of history...
, in which he discusses the role of good governance
Good governance
Good governance is an indeterminate term used in development literature to describe how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in order to guarantee the realization of human rights. Governance describes "the process of decision-making and the process by which...
and the ever-present tension between (human nature
Human nature
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....
attributes) and (human dignity needs) in the sustainability of history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and that of any political order. In this book, he advocates his concept of "Civilizational Triumphalism through his "Ocean Model of One Human Civilization". He also insists that the attainment of dignity for all, at all times and under all circumstances, is what drives/propels human history and ensure its sustainability. In this, Nayef Al-Rodhan suggests that "a good governance paradigm that limits excesses of human nature and ensures an atmosphere of happiness and productivity by promoting reason and dignity is required". This book is entitled Sustainable History and the Dignity of Man: A Philosophy of History and Civilisational Triumph (Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2009).
Commenting on this book, President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, 39th President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
said: "Dr. Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan challenges us to grapple with the meaning of history and how it could lead to the improvement of the human condition. This book presents his views on how a sustainable history based on human dignity could be achieved. In his opinion, this requires good governance, based on “reason, security, human rights, accountability, transparency, justice, opportunity, innovation and inclusiveness.” I agree, and I hope that the path laid out in this book attracts many followers."
Lord Giddens of Southgate, UK House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
and Former President of London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
also said: "No-one seeking to understand the modern condition can afford to ignore Dr Al-Rodhan's inspiring book, a profound analysis of the core values around which effective global governance
Global governance
Global governance or world governance is the political interaction of transnational actors aimed at solving problems that affect more than one state or region when there is no power of enforcing compliance. The modern question of world governance exists in the context of globalization...
can be built and sustained."
Theory of Knowledge: "Neuro-rational Physicalism" Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan also proposed a Theory of knowledge called, "Neuro-rational Physicalism NRP". Al-Rodhan's theory of knowledge recognises the role of interpretation, sense-data and reason in the acquisition of knowledge
Knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
and that knowledge is to some extent indeterminate. He suggests that knowledge may also be temporally, spatially and perhaps culturally constrained and that all energy and matter are physical, even if unobservable with our current technologies and knowhow, making their existence "possible truths subject to proof". He adds that emotional acts, cognition
Cognition
In science, cognition refers to mental processes. These processes include attention, remembering, producing and understanding language, solving problems, and making decisions. Cognition is studied in various disciplines such as psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and computer science...
and all other thought processes are also physical and, as such, material.
This was included in his philosophy of history book Sustainable History and the Dignity of Man: A Philosophy of History and Civilisational Triumph (Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2009).
Global Security Paradigm: "The Multi-Sum Security Principle"
Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan advocated a "Multi-Sum Security Principle" that promotes win-win cooperative security interactions between states and cultures based on global justice
Global justice
Global justice is an issue in political philosophy arising from the concern that the world at large is unjust.-Context:The broader philosophical context of the global justice debate, in both its contemporary and historical forms, is the issue of impartiality...
. This principle insists that the promotion of global justice should be central to global politics
Global politics
Global politics is the discipline that studies the political and economical patterns of the world. It studies the relationships between cities, nation-states, shell-states, multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations and international organizations.It has been argued that global...
, not for altruistic reasons, but in order to achieve sustainable interests of states and cultures. This book is entitled The Five Dimensions of Global Security: Proposal for a Multi-sum Security Principle (Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2007).
Politics of Emerging Strategic Technologies: "Inevitable Transhumanism"
Dr. Nayef Al-Rodhan proposed his concept of "Inevitable Transhumanism
Transhumanism
Transhumanism, often abbreviated as H+ or h+, is an international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human...
", where he argues that human enhancement
Human enhancement
Human enhancement refers to any attempt to temporarily or permanently overcome the current limitations of the human body through natural or artificial means...
and the future evolution into transhumans is inevitable. He suggests that this is so because of our own human nature attributes namely (emotionality
Emotionality
Emotionality is the observable behavioral and physiological component of emotion, and is a measure of a person's emotional reactivity to a stimulus. It is often used by psychology researchers to operationalize emotion in research studies...
, amorality
Amorality
Amorality is an absence of, indifference towards, or disregard for moral beliefs. Any entity that is not sentient may be considered amoral. In addition, it can be argued that sentient but non-human creatures, like dogs, have no concept of morality and are therefore amoral...
and egoism
Egoism
* Egotism, an excessive or exaggerated sense of self-importance* Ethical egoism, the doctrine that holds that individuals ought to do what is in their self-interest...
) that will inevitably push us towards that end. To prepare for these potential existential threats, Nayef Al-Rodhan calls on the global community to urgently establish strict moral
Moral
A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim...
and legal guidelines that balance the need for innovation with the guarantee of dignity
Dignity
Dignity is a term used in moral, ethical, and political discussions to signify that a being has an innate right to respect and ethical treatment. It is an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable rights...
for all. In addition to human enhancement, he also analyses the interplay between emerging strategic technologies, geopolitics
Geopolitics
Geopolitics, from Greek Γη and Πολιτική in broad terms, is a theory that describes the relation between politics and territory whether on local or international scale....
and national power
National power
National power is defined as the sum of all resources available to a nation in the pursuit of national objectives.-Elements of national power:National power is composed of various elements, also referred to as instruments or attributes; these may be grouped into two categories based on their...
in the same book. The book is entitled The Politics of Emerging Strategic Technologies: Implications for Geopolitics, Human Enhancement and Human Destiny (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011).
Commenting on this book, Dr. James Lewis
James Lewis
James Lewis or Jimmy Lewis may refer to:* James Lewis , Welsh rugby player* James Lewis , Australian football referee in the A-League* James Lewis , American comedian from New York...
, Director and Senior Fellow, Technology and Public Policy Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies
Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Center for Strategic and International Studies is a bipartisan Washington, D.C., foreign policy think tank. The center was founded in 1962 by Admiral Arleigh Burke and Ambassador David Manker Abshire, originally as part of Georgetown University...
(CSIS), Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, United States, said: "This is a fascinating account of the interplay of new technologies and national power
National Power
- History :National Power was formed following the privatisation of the UK electricity market in 1990. In England and Wales the Central Electricity Generating Board, which was responsible for the generation and transmission of electricity was split into three generating companies Powergen, National...
. It goes beyond mechanistic estimates to explore social and political consequences of a world reshaped by technological change. The discussion of human enhancement through drugs or genetic manipulation is engrossing and raises new and difficult problems, both political and ethical, for what will soon be a very different world. The scope of the book, with its discussion of a full range of new technologies of consequences, makes it unique and insightful as a guide to one of the fundamental forces that will reshape international politics."
Professor Giovanni De Micheli, Director of the Electrical Engineering Institute and Integrated Systems Centre at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland, also said:"This book takes a broad look at emerging technologies
Emerging technologies
In the history of technology, emerging technologies are contemporary advances and innovation in various fields of technology. Various converging technologies have emerged in the technological convergence of different systems evolving towards similar goals...
and their role in enabling humanity to further its evolution. Nayef Al-Rodhan comprehensively addresses the key trends of these strategic technologies and the highly relevant geopolitical and strategic implications. Within this framework, he highlights the need for setting transnational
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
policies in place to ensure ubiquitous human dignity
Dignity
Dignity is a term used in moral, ethical, and political discussions to signify that a being has an innate right to respect and ethical treatment. It is an extension of the Enlightenment-era concepts of inherent, inalienable rights...
and the freedom to choose our own destiny. This study is a scientific and breathtaking voyage into the future that will enchant the reader and encourage society to meditate on our human nature and subsequent responsibilities."
Selected Bibliographie
Sustainable History and the Dignity of Man: A Philosophy of History and Civilisational Triumph (Berlin: LIT, 2009),ISBN 3643800053; ISBN 978-3643800053“emotional amoral egoism:” A Neurophilosophical Theory of Human Nature and its Universal Security Implications (Berlin: LIT, 2008), ISBN 3825809544; ISBN 978-3825809546
Neo-statecraft and Meta-geopolitics: Reconciliation of Power, Interests and Justice in the 21st Century (Berlin: LIT, 2009), ISBN 3643800061; ISBN 978-3643800060
The Politics of Emerging Strategic Technologies: Implications for Geopolitics, Human Enhancement and Human Destiny (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011), ISBN 0230290841; ISBN 978-0230290846
Potential Global Strategic Catastrophes: Balancing Transnational Responsibilities and Burden-sharing with Sovereignty and Human Dignity, Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan (ed), (Berlin: LIT, 2009), ISBN 3643800045; ISBN 978-3643800046
The Three Pillars of Sustainable National Security in a Transnational World (Berlin: LIT, 2008), ISBN 3643800045 ; ISBN 978-3643800046
Critical Turning Points in the Middle East: 1915 - 2015, Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan et al., (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) ISBN 0230251501, ISBN 978-0230251502
The Five Dimensions of Global Security: Proposal for a Multi-sum Security Principle (Berlin: LIT, 2007) ISBN 382580478X;
ISBN 978-3825804787
Symbiotic Realism: A Theory of International Relations in an Instant and an Interdependent World (Berlin: LIT, 2007), ISBN 382580478X; ISBN 978-3825804787
Selected Articles
Nayef Al-Rodhan, Lisa Watanabe, “Le déficit de dignité collective et le futur du monde arabe,” Le Monde.FR., April 5, 2011.Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan, “Local Culture and History,” Letters to the International Herald Tribune, International Herald Tribune, November 20, 2009.
Fred Tanner, Nayef Al-Rodhan and Sunjay Chandiramani, GCSP Geneva Paper 9, Security Strategies Today: Trends and Perspectives, GCSP Geneva Papers, November, 2009.
Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan, “Multi-sum Security: Five Distinct Dimensions,” Safeguarding Security in Turbulent Times - ISN Special Report, May 2009.
Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan, “Editorial of GCSP Policy Brief No. 1, Information Technology, Terrorism, and Global Security,” GCSP Policy
Brief Series, Program on the Geopolitical Implications of Globalization and Transnational Security, June 19, 2006.
Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan, T. Sundt, D. Piepgras, D. Nichols, D. Rβfenacht and L. Stevens, “Occlusive Hyperemia: A Theory for the Hemodynamic Complications Following Resection of Intracerebral Arteriovenous Malformations,” Journal of Neurosurgery, Vol. 78, No. 2, February 1993.
T.L. Yaksh, Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan and E. Mjanger, “Sites of Action of Opiates in Production of Analgesia,” in L. Kaufman (ed.), Anasthesia Review 5 (London: Churchill Livingstone, 1988), pp. 254 – 268.
T.L. Yaksh, Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan and T.S. Jensen, “Sites of Action of Opiates in Production of Analgesia,” in H.L. Fields and J.M. Bensson (eds.), Progress in Brain Research, Vol. 77 (Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., 1988), pp. 371 – 393.
Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan, D. Piepgras and T. Sundt, “Transitional Cavernous Aneurysms of the Internal Cartoid Artery,” Neurosurgery, Vol. 33, Issue 6, December 1993, pp. 993 – 998.
R.A. Bronen, R.K. Fulbright, J.H. Kim, S.S. Spencer, D.D. Spencer and Nayef R. Al-Rodhan, “Regional Distribution of MR Findings in Hippocampal Sclerosis,” American Journal of Neuroradiology, Vol. 16, Issue 6, 1995, pp. 1193–1200.
See also
Nayef Al-Rodhan personal webpageSt. Antony’s College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
GCSP