Marcel Leroy - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Marcel Leroy
American Sociological Review, 1959
Few aspects of international relations have proved as elusive to the few scholars brave enough to... more Few aspects of international relations have proved as elusive to the few scholars brave enough to tackle them seriously, as the explanation and study of the causation of war. Such lack of success is hardly surprising. The single-factor theories being easily rejected as scholarly aberrations, the task becomes one of establishing and assessing dozens of facets that can be generalized among the prewar experiences and outbreak of international hostilities in a large number of historical cases. One can, in fact, regard war as a disruption of an existing interstate equilibrium. Factors that maintain and reinforce this equilibrium are factors of peace; those that facilitate the breakdown of this equilibrium are factors of war.1 But the study of war then becomes more than the explanation of conflict: it becomes analogous with the study of international relations.
Population and world politics, 1978
In a broad sense, power is the production of intended effects (Russell, 1938). In international r... more In a broad sense, power is the production of intended effects (Russell, 1938). In international relations, the realm of these effects lies primarily in the ability to prevail in conflict with other states, and to overcome obstacles in the competition with them (Deutsch, 1965, p. 22).
Conflict Trends, 2011
As climate change has moved up the political agenda over the last two decades, there has been a c... more As climate change has moved up the political agenda over the last two decades, there has been a concomitant increase in the number of scientific exercises dealing with environmental and climate security. On the broader issue of environmental security, there has been a growing understanding of the ways in which environmental scarcity may trigger violent conflict. Before this debate regarding the role of environmental degradation and scarcity issues in the causation of conflicts was fully settled, however, the more specific aspect of climate change came to the fore. The phenomenon of climate change has socio-economic, political and demographic (through migration) impacts, which many fear will lead to increased societal tensions and violent conflict. This article focuses on the climate change-conflict nexus in the Horn of Africa (HoA) - a region that has experienced high conflict levels, and is also prone to climatic fluctuations and natural disasters. Are the two phenomena causally li...
The principle of joint development cooperation efforts to be undertaken by European Community (EC... more The principle of joint development cooperation efforts to be undertaken by European Community (EC) member states, and the possibility for former colonies to be associated with the EC, were already recognized in the Treaty of Rome as signed in 1957. The initial thrust of development policy was on preserving privileged trading relationshenceforth to be shared among all EC member states-and on jointly funded capital assistance to develop the former colonial territories. The motivation and ethos of EC policy towards Africa remained largely linked with the colonial model for decades, with efforts being steered from Brussels. The thrust was only gradually adapted, aided by successive phases of EC enlargement and the end of the Cold War. The past has left a heavy legacy on European Union-Africa relations. On the European Union (EU) side, development cooperation flowed largely from the colonial link and was assisted and/or burdened by its attitudes and expectations, including privileged trade relations and somewhat paternalistic approaches to development. On the African side, mixed feelings about the colonial past, as well as the often bitter experience of moving towards independence, left a strong anti-colonial reflex. It has taken many years, as well as moving to a partnership approach, to overcome mutual suspicions. EU-Africa relations have gradually adapted to reflect a widening scope of mutual concerns. Plenty of challenges remain, including overcoming the European tendency to expect Africans to accept 'made-in-Brussels' solutions and African reluctance to address sensitive issues (in particular regarding governance and human rights) on which they fear becoming subject to oversight from EU sources. African integration processes, and EU support for them, should play a major role in propelling the development of Africa and in moving EU-Africa relations to a more productive and consensual phase. Summary of Recommendations EU representatives should talk to many people and create communication lines to various government bodies, as well as to civil society. Political dialogue should not be limited to formal exchanges. A high degree of informality is more likely to yield results.
1. Population, politics and policy.- 1.1. On Method.- 1.2. Population Policy.- 1.3. Migration.- 2... more 1. Population, politics and policy.- 1.1. On Method.- 1.2. Population Policy.- 1.3. Migration.- 2. Population, power and the state.- 2.1. Total Population and the Power Inventory.- 2.2. Population Density, Social Organization and Power.- 2.3. Population, Production and the Dependency Burden.- 2.4. Population Optima.- 2.5. Population and Economic Development.- 2.6. Population and Power.- 3. Population and war.- 3.1. Population and the Causation of War.- 3.2. The Malthusian Explanation.- 3.3. Some Hypotheses on Population and War.- 3.4. Population Growth and Density, Resources and Subsistence: Man-Land Relationships and Their Relevance for the Study of War.- 3.5. Crowding, Social Pathology and Aggression.- 3.6. Population Growth, Domestic Conflict and War.- 3.7. Demographic Consequences of War.- 3.8. Human Losses and the Termination of Conflict.- 3.9. Conflict and Catastrophic Population Decline.- 3.10. The Causation of War: A Review of the Hypotheses.- 3.11. Does War Have a Demograph...
Population and world politics, 1978
We have, in the previous chapters, identified some processes through which population affects var... more We have, in the previous chapters, identified some processes through which population affects various areas of social organization: economic life, political evolution, the orgination of international tensions and, in some ways, war. For all these purposes, we have considered the group as a unit. The size of the group, by expanding or contracting, or evolving at the same or a different rate as that of neighboring groups, affects domestic and external attributes and behavior.
Climate Change: International Law and Global Governance, 2013
A broad range of studies have attempted to identify pathways through which climate change could c... more A broad range of studies have attempted to identify pathways through which climate change could contribute to conflict. Resource scarcity and climateinduced migration are two avenues which have received ample attention. The link between precipitation and conflict has also been examined, and some excellent work has been done regarding the impact of temperature on conflict. On balance, however, there is mixed evidence about the security implications of climate change. Furthermore, in many writings on the subject, scientific analysis takes a back seat to conjecture. Studying the consequences of climate change requires examining a broad social context, including the role of governance. Recognising the wide range of social mechanisms and intellectual premises underlying the response of various cultures to new challenges is also essential. The multitude of choices in the process of adaptation reduces the scope for identifying 'standard' mechanisms through which societies react to climate change. Correspondingly, research methods and underlying premises need to encompass the full range of options through which cultures respond. However, in scientific research-including the physical, social and life sciences-pressures to conform with prevailing thinking may restrict the scope of what is being investigated and, hence, limit the conclusions being advanced. In addition, many scientists cannot escape the ideological bent which shapes their worldviews and ends up pervading their work. Keeping in mind the perspectives of relativity and non-linearity, it is rarely warranted to 'predict' developments over a long-term horizon. The 'securitisation' of the climate change debate, and predictions of dire consequences for future domestic and international stability, have contributed to raising the debate-and international negotiations on how to address climate change-to the realm of high politics. Identifying climate change as a security problem has encouraged state-sponsored reflection on possible 685
International Journal, 1975
Neo-Malthusianism, foreign aid, and international relations Malthusianism seems to have been more... more Neo-Malthusianism, foreign aid, and international relations Malthusianism seems to have been more fashionable in the domain of international politics than it was in any specific country. While domestic Malthusians had at least to counter the arguments of non-Malthusian writers and spokesmen, the many who applied Malthus' thinking to international relations did not face even that opposition. The danger to peace, of course, was always said to be inherent in the evolution of other societies; belligerence was never recognized at home in any modem nation, but when it was suspected abroad, many makeshift explanations for its development would go unchallenged. The demographic argument has been one of the most enduring of these. Even during the interwar period, when birth rates dropped sharply, speculation on how to counter the impending long population decline was fashionable,' and many Western countries prepared to embark upon strong pro-natalist policies, 2 Malthusian fears about the threat to peace from rising populations were ex
conflict trends, 2008
... The United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) major assessment of the post-Oil f... more ... The United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) major assessment of the post-Oil from a leaking pipeline burns in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria. ... conflict environment in Sudan7 paints a dire picture of historical climate change in Northern Darfur. ...
Population and world politics, 1978
Population is one of the concrete bases of politics. It seems justified, therefore, to analyse po... more Population is one of the concrete bases of politics. It seems justified, therefore, to analyse political developments — in this case the relations among states — in terms of their demographic elements. The work presented here will, more precisely, investigate various ways in which population characteristics or developments may affect the power and behavior of states, and their interactions with each other. The emphasis of this research is by no means intended to minimize or contest the relevance of other factors that contribute to the composition and orientation of nations, or to the make-up and dynamics of the international system.1 Rather, it is intended to add another perspective to the study of international relations, one more point of view from which available ‘knowledge’ about international politics can be verified, or from which new hypotheses can be deduced in order to further the process of theory building. For the demographer, the study aims at achieving greater understanding about the societal dynamics associated with the evolution of human populations, and at adding to available knowledge concerning demographic change.
American Sociological Review, 1959
Few aspects of international relations have proved as elusive to the few scholars brave enough to... more Few aspects of international relations have proved as elusive to the few scholars brave enough to tackle them seriously, as the explanation and study of the causation of war. Such lack of success is hardly surprising. The single-factor theories being easily rejected as scholarly aberrations, the task becomes one of establishing and assessing dozens of facets that can be generalized among the prewar experiences and outbreak of international hostilities in a large number of historical cases. One can, in fact, regard war as a disruption of an existing interstate equilibrium. Factors that maintain and reinforce this equilibrium are factors of peace; those that facilitate the breakdown of this equilibrium are factors of war.1 But the study of war then becomes more than the explanation of conflict: it becomes analogous with the study of international relations.
Population and world politics, 1978
In a broad sense, power is the production of intended effects (Russell, 1938). In international r... more In a broad sense, power is the production of intended effects (Russell, 1938). In international relations, the realm of these effects lies primarily in the ability to prevail in conflict with other states, and to overcome obstacles in the competition with them (Deutsch, 1965, p. 22).
Conflict Trends, 2011
As climate change has moved up the political agenda over the last two decades, there has been a c... more As climate change has moved up the political agenda over the last two decades, there has been a concomitant increase in the number of scientific exercises dealing with environmental and climate security. On the broader issue of environmental security, there has been a growing understanding of the ways in which environmental scarcity may trigger violent conflict. Before this debate regarding the role of environmental degradation and scarcity issues in the causation of conflicts was fully settled, however, the more specific aspect of climate change came to the fore. The phenomenon of climate change has socio-economic, political and demographic (through migration) impacts, which many fear will lead to increased societal tensions and violent conflict. This article focuses on the climate change-conflict nexus in the Horn of Africa (HoA) - a region that has experienced high conflict levels, and is also prone to climatic fluctuations and natural disasters. Are the two phenomena causally li...
The principle of joint development cooperation efforts to be undertaken by European Community (EC... more The principle of joint development cooperation efforts to be undertaken by European Community (EC) member states, and the possibility for former colonies to be associated with the EC, were already recognized in the Treaty of Rome as signed in 1957. The initial thrust of development policy was on preserving privileged trading relationshenceforth to be shared among all EC member states-and on jointly funded capital assistance to develop the former colonial territories. The motivation and ethos of EC policy towards Africa remained largely linked with the colonial model for decades, with efforts being steered from Brussels. The thrust was only gradually adapted, aided by successive phases of EC enlargement and the end of the Cold War. The past has left a heavy legacy on European Union-Africa relations. On the European Union (EU) side, development cooperation flowed largely from the colonial link and was assisted and/or burdened by its attitudes and expectations, including privileged trade relations and somewhat paternalistic approaches to development. On the African side, mixed feelings about the colonial past, as well as the often bitter experience of moving towards independence, left a strong anti-colonial reflex. It has taken many years, as well as moving to a partnership approach, to overcome mutual suspicions. EU-Africa relations have gradually adapted to reflect a widening scope of mutual concerns. Plenty of challenges remain, including overcoming the European tendency to expect Africans to accept 'made-in-Brussels' solutions and African reluctance to address sensitive issues (in particular regarding governance and human rights) on which they fear becoming subject to oversight from EU sources. African integration processes, and EU support for them, should play a major role in propelling the development of Africa and in moving EU-Africa relations to a more productive and consensual phase. Summary of Recommendations EU representatives should talk to many people and create communication lines to various government bodies, as well as to civil society. Political dialogue should not be limited to formal exchanges. A high degree of informality is more likely to yield results.
1. Population, politics and policy.- 1.1. On Method.- 1.2. Population Policy.- 1.3. Migration.- 2... more 1. Population, politics and policy.- 1.1. On Method.- 1.2. Population Policy.- 1.3. Migration.- 2. Population, power and the state.- 2.1. Total Population and the Power Inventory.- 2.2. Population Density, Social Organization and Power.- 2.3. Population, Production and the Dependency Burden.- 2.4. Population Optima.- 2.5. Population and Economic Development.- 2.6. Population and Power.- 3. Population and war.- 3.1. Population and the Causation of War.- 3.2. The Malthusian Explanation.- 3.3. Some Hypotheses on Population and War.- 3.4. Population Growth and Density, Resources and Subsistence: Man-Land Relationships and Their Relevance for the Study of War.- 3.5. Crowding, Social Pathology and Aggression.- 3.6. Population Growth, Domestic Conflict and War.- 3.7. Demographic Consequences of War.- 3.8. Human Losses and the Termination of Conflict.- 3.9. Conflict and Catastrophic Population Decline.- 3.10. The Causation of War: A Review of the Hypotheses.- 3.11. Does War Have a Demograph...
Population and world politics, 1978
We have, in the previous chapters, identified some processes through which population affects var... more We have, in the previous chapters, identified some processes through which population affects various areas of social organization: economic life, political evolution, the orgination of international tensions and, in some ways, war. For all these purposes, we have considered the group as a unit. The size of the group, by expanding or contracting, or evolving at the same or a different rate as that of neighboring groups, affects domestic and external attributes and behavior.
Climate Change: International Law and Global Governance, 2013
A broad range of studies have attempted to identify pathways through which climate change could c... more A broad range of studies have attempted to identify pathways through which climate change could contribute to conflict. Resource scarcity and climateinduced migration are two avenues which have received ample attention. The link between precipitation and conflict has also been examined, and some excellent work has been done regarding the impact of temperature on conflict. On balance, however, there is mixed evidence about the security implications of climate change. Furthermore, in many writings on the subject, scientific analysis takes a back seat to conjecture. Studying the consequences of climate change requires examining a broad social context, including the role of governance. Recognising the wide range of social mechanisms and intellectual premises underlying the response of various cultures to new challenges is also essential. The multitude of choices in the process of adaptation reduces the scope for identifying 'standard' mechanisms through which societies react to climate change. Correspondingly, research methods and underlying premises need to encompass the full range of options through which cultures respond. However, in scientific research-including the physical, social and life sciences-pressures to conform with prevailing thinking may restrict the scope of what is being investigated and, hence, limit the conclusions being advanced. In addition, many scientists cannot escape the ideological bent which shapes their worldviews and ends up pervading their work. Keeping in mind the perspectives of relativity and non-linearity, it is rarely warranted to 'predict' developments over a long-term horizon. The 'securitisation' of the climate change debate, and predictions of dire consequences for future domestic and international stability, have contributed to raising the debate-and international negotiations on how to address climate change-to the realm of high politics. Identifying climate change as a security problem has encouraged state-sponsored reflection on possible 685
International Journal, 1975
Neo-Malthusianism, foreign aid, and international relations Malthusianism seems to have been more... more Neo-Malthusianism, foreign aid, and international relations Malthusianism seems to have been more fashionable in the domain of international politics than it was in any specific country. While domestic Malthusians had at least to counter the arguments of non-Malthusian writers and spokesmen, the many who applied Malthus' thinking to international relations did not face even that opposition. The danger to peace, of course, was always said to be inherent in the evolution of other societies; belligerence was never recognized at home in any modem nation, but when it was suspected abroad, many makeshift explanations for its development would go unchallenged. The demographic argument has been one of the most enduring of these. Even during the interwar period, when birth rates dropped sharply, speculation on how to counter the impending long population decline was fashionable,' and many Western countries prepared to embark upon strong pro-natalist policies, 2 Malthusian fears about the threat to peace from rising populations were ex
conflict trends, 2008
... The United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) major assessment of the post-Oil f... more ... The United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) major assessment of the post-Oil from a leaking pipeline burns in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria. ... conflict environment in Sudan7 paints a dire picture of historical climate change in Northern Darfur. ...
Population and world politics, 1978
Population is one of the concrete bases of politics. It seems justified, therefore, to analyse po... more Population is one of the concrete bases of politics. It seems justified, therefore, to analyse political developments — in this case the relations among states — in terms of their demographic elements. The work presented here will, more precisely, investigate various ways in which population characteristics or developments may affect the power and behavior of states, and their interactions with each other. The emphasis of this research is by no means intended to minimize or contest the relevance of other factors that contribute to the composition and orientation of nations, or to the make-up and dynamics of the international system.1 Rather, it is intended to add another perspective to the study of international relations, one more point of view from which available ‘knowledge’ about international politics can be verified, or from which new hypotheses can be deduced in order to further the process of theory building. For the demographer, the study aims at achieving greater understanding about the societal dynamics associated with the evolution of human populations, and at adding to available knowledge concerning demographic change.