Geographic Mental Maps and Foreign Policy Change

4Rethinking the Concept of Foreign Policy Change

Whereas numerous studies have focused on foreign policy change, it nonetheless remains a peripheral topic in foreign policy analysis (FPA; Renshon, 2008). In fact, FPA has dedicated very little theoretical effort to explaining foreign policy change in comparison to other issues and phenomena. As I argue above, compared with most social theories, FPA tends to focus on stability. According to Marková (2003), Western philosophies of knowledge have historically searched for stability and certainty. Since the early writings of Plato and Aristotle, change has been equated with chaos, leading individuals to search for permanence and constancy (Marshak, 2002). Stability has been understood as the ideal ...