Emancipatory Politics And Critical Security Studies

Critical Security Studies was influenced by critical theory and critical social theory which was developed to three stages. German idealism is the source of critical social theory, which was prompted to historical materialism and the critique of industrial society and modern civilization. Frankfurt School is the best summary of critical social theory. And Emancipatory Politics is the core connation of critical theory which implies that the immanent critique of theories is the potentiality and a tactic political action of emancipation, which aims to construct community and push the progressive political emancipation. Besides, Critical theory suggests to construct new regimes and to normatively select to counter-hegemony by social culture and counter-hegemony by social motivation and to push the political emancipation. So, the core content of critical theory is Emancipatory Politics that is consists of the immanent critique and political reconstruction.From critical theory to critical security studies, actually is the combination of Emancipatory Politics and security studies, which also is the combination of immanent critique and political reconstruction with security studies. Richard Wyn Jones and Robert Cox had made a good contribution. Jones developed emancipatory critical theory which regards emancipation as the site and forum of different critical theories, which explores the relationship between humankind and nature and the social recognition; Cox who thinks that all the theories are always for someone and some purpose developed reflective critical theory which concerns that the emancipation is short of theoretical and practical basis and cannot challenge the discourse power and the political structure. Jones was the first one to combine Frankfurt School emancipation and security issues; afterwards, Ken Booth differentiated the problems, themes and principles of critical security studies. Cox advocates to dig the new power relationship under the globalization era, and the conventional security research and the definition standards of security concept need to be reflected.Security studies imply that the security backgrounds have been changed, and we need to explore the political theory behind the security, which concretely saying is the Human Security that regards every man as the subject of security and promotes the emancipation of human beings and concerns more about the security of the third word states and the regional security. Besides, the conventionally plural security in cold war needs to be reflected as which is easily serve the freedom of international intervention. Although the Human Security has challenged the conventional realist security; it is a two-side sword to develop Human Security, and that many of Human Security agendas need to be cautiously treated and reflected which includes all of the activities of human beings into the security practice and becomes so wide in range and is lack of substantive meaning and is easily being a administrational means of the whole world.Booth developed World Security, which was influenced by the Enlightenment in eighteenth century, and concerned improvement and emancipation and suggests that the security theorists are not object and neutral but must have Utopia thoughts and commits to turn the international politics into the art of full possibility. Furthermore, World Security criticizes realism and unmasks the power disguises and social oppression principles and pushes power liberalism and political emancipation. Concretely, World Security develops the critical security theory and redefines the security studies and security content and regards security as a constellation. Both thinks that the essence of World Security is the imagined community and suggests to construct emancipatory community, such as local community and value community. On this basis, Andrew Linklater thinks that international citizen identity can serve the Emancipatory Politics and integrates normative, social and practical community and that the political community, local organizations and civil society are the practical ways.