Into the Heart of Darkness: Cosmopolitanism vs. Realism and the Democratic Republic of Congo
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Date
2010-06
Authors
Schmidt, Christopher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
It was 42 years before the end of World War II that Joseph Conrad wrote his infamous novel "Heart of Darkness," yet today its relevance to the Congo remains starkly the same, as the aegis of colonialism has left a devastating footprint. The novel explores the hypocrisy of Belgium's imperialism as the act of civilizing the African became quite uncivil. The imperial incivility, political factionalization, and decades of authoritarian rule and war have led the United Nations (UN) to enter the Congo, quite like Marlow's travel up the Congo River. Yet, amidst the chaos of Belgium's enterprise and the aftermath of World War II, the Congo offers a troubling and difficult case for policymakers and for international relations theory. This paper aims at pondering this case to hopefully shed light into the heart of darkness and give an explanation for 'the horror' that Kurtz only realized at his final moment.
Following World War II, it was abundantly clear through international consensus that the urgency for preventive action against another world war required the reorganization of the League of Nations system. The former colonial and imperial powers of Europe were decimated and the United States and Russia stood as victors against an impetuous regime. The global order was changing rapidly with the creation of the atomic bomb and the rise of the United States and Russia as superpowers. [Full text of abstract available in document.]
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Keywords
Cosmopolitanism, Realism, International Relations, Democratic Republic of Congo, United Nations, Peacekeeping