Ethics in a World of Power: The Political Ideas of Friedrich Meinecke

Writing from a country shattered by two World Wars and by Nazi barbarism, Friedrich Meinecke, Germany’s foremost historian of this century, was deeply troubled by the problem of reconciling power and justice in international affairs. This study of his political philosophy traces his thinking about nationalism and power politics, the dilemmas that beset the man of action in political life, and the possibility of “ethics in a world of power.” Historians, political scientists, philosophers, and students of international affairs will welcome this further contribution to a theme highlighted by such contemporary spokesmen as George Kennan m1d Reinhold Niebuhr. The author studied under Meinecke and used primary sources in Germany.

Originally published in 1958.

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