Сonceptual framework and nature of general theory of national security
Security is an elite destiny
V.Lipkan
lecture 1. 1
conceptual framework and nature of general theory of national security.. 1
Introduction. 2
Slide 2. 2
1. Scope and Nature of General Security Theory. 3
Slide 3. 3
Slide 4. 3
Slide 5. 4
Slide 6. 4
Slide 7. 5
Slide 8. 5
Slide 9. 6
Slide 10. 6
Slide 11. 6
2. Interdisciplinary Nature of General Theory of National Security. 7
Slide 12. 8
Slide 13. 8
3. Architecture of Scientific Approach to Study of National Security Components. 9
Introduction
General Security Theory represents an essential element of intellectual cultures of the mankind and embraces extensive political and legal experience of prior generations reflecting main trends, milestones and outcomes of previous research into the problems of ensuring security of an individual, nation and state. This cognitive expertise, ideas and breakthroughs have now a tangible influence on current concept of formation and operation of national security system, legal vision and development prospects.
In an attempt to see into the present day and head way for the better and secure future people are used to getting back to the past, time-proven security forms and mechanisms and will undoubtedly keep on doing so. It is not a mere tribute to the past or blind faith in traditions and authorities. It rather constitutes a human orientation in geo-historical time and geopolitical environment, a natural need and aspiration of every generation to gain an attractor (peak of security of an individual, nation or state) and once settled down in between the past and the future, to get maximum realization of personal needs and interests through robust functioning of security mechanism.
In this respect a much-written-about meandering evolution of security systems, formation and effective performance of its components get yet more important.
GST enables to get a better understanding of how the cognition of the security nature evolved in that eternal collision of different views and positions and how the knowledge about reasonable balance between security-related interests of an individual, nation and state, human rights and freedoms, social and public order, national security forms and methods was gained and sharpened.
Slide 2
The extending experience and the increasing knowledge about national security contribute to the growing importance of security studies — general security theory. After analyzing numerous research papers the author suggested that alternatively, general security theory should be labeled as securology from Latin ‘securitas’ from Latin. securitas, from securus + -logia from Gk. -logia (often via Fr. -logie or M.L. -logia), “study of and; and ‘logos’ – a science, study, movement.
The preference is hereinafter given to the title “General Security Theory”.
1. Scope and Nature of General Security Theory
Slide 3
Security Studies is an academic discipline considered to be a sub-discipline of international relations.[1] There are several differing approaches to security within security studies including traditional realists conceptions of security, Critical Security Studies, the Copenhagen School of security studies and feminist approaches to security[1].
Instead of This I propose to go further, then Oleaver and Buzan, Ken Both ets.
Slide 4
GST represents a modern cross-discipline trend in the fundamental science which studies the level of nation’s interests being safeguarded from natural and man-caused dangers using various methods, including investigation of self-organization of so-called disrupters (destabilizing systems).
The core of the concept consists in harmonizing research principles for organizational structures (method of extrapolation, determination of NSS dysfunction by identifying threats and dangers to a system) with those applied in self-organizational structures, namely: investigation of GST as a complex open non-linear and dynamic system, assessment of self-organizing mechanisms, forecasting of fundamental parameters of system evolution. The GST structure is viewed as a component of nation’s security concept.
GST comprises a system of knowledge which describes and explains a set of national security phenomena and consolidates the rules discovered in this area into a uniform harmonized system with a common idea of building a strong and developed, self-sustaining and independent state.
The research is mainly targeted at:
q Establishing fundamental rules of system transition from dynamic equilibrium to chaos;
q Quantitative and qualitative description of complex non-linear interacting mechanisms of the specified systems, objects and structures at different stages of origination and progress of threats and dangers and their consequences in time and spatial kinetic set;
q Setting up scientific foundation of diagnosing, monitoring, early warning and cessation of threats and dangers.
Slide 5
Overall, GST follows the following principles:
q Relevance of scientific theory to an object in question;
q Comprehensive and consistent description of a particular area of activity;
q Need for substantiating liaison between different components of a theory ensuring that certain assertions pass over to the others;
q Inherent non-contradiction of a theory and its adequacy to research data.
The fundamentals of this scientific trend lie in superior theories, including, but not limited to, theory of social management, general theory of security, general theory of systems. Moreover, by its integrating nature GST incorporates fundamental provisions of other sciences to include nation theory, social contract theory, catastrophe theory, crisis theory, dynamic systems theory, autogenesis theory and others.
Slide 6
The conceptual and categorical framework objectively formed in GST comprises basic and specific notions such as
- national security (insecurity),
- national threat,
- safeguard,
- ensuring,
- support,
- probability, risk,
- catastrophe, crisis, vital functions,
- system environment, adverse factor,
- dangerous impact, system response,
- algorithm of managing, national idea, national interests,
- national outlook, national sufficiency, national security system,
- state administration of national security system, etc.
Slide 7
Epistemology of GST consists of three related components
Ontology – The branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being
Axiology – The study of the nature of values and value judgments.
Methodology – body of practices, procedures, and rules used by those who work in a discipline or engage in an inquiry; a set of working methods
Slide 8
Quantitative analysis and working out of scales to measure the status of national security within GST are based on the following basic criteria:
- threats (dangers) to life and vital functions;
- threats and dangers to security system.
Slide 9
Therefore, fundamental scientific basis of GST management consists in :
1) selecting an effective tool of attaining system objectives,
2) outlining priorities in ensuring security;
3) working out urgent and prospective actions to mitigate threats and enhance quality and lifespan of basic algorithms within security system.
Slide 10
This being said, for the purpose of bringing up managerial elite in national security it prospectively urges to work out the following measures:
ü drawing up centralized programs of consistent skill development and re-training;
ü elaborating and implementing regional and industry specific programs of national security professional training;
ü developing and adopting international programs for professionals in managing self-organizational systems in the case of destabilization with different intensity, etc.
Slide 11
Consequently, fundamental and applied research should reasonably provide for:
¯ methodological support of formulating a new security paradigm;
¯ a number of applied theories in GST with the theory of state administration of security system playing an essential role;
¯ development and utilization of a uniform system of criteria to assess threats to security system;
¯ meta-modeling of probable threats to GST with further preparation of standard plan of actions for stabilization algorithms;
¯ elaboration and application of uniform methods and systems of control, diagnosing, identification and safeguard;
¯ design of comprehensive dynamics and integration programs of security system based on geopolitical analysis of the environment.
To recap, the state governance professionals should be trained under the principle of consistency and compliance with national interests. These principles represent principal foundations of bringing up systemic mindset in senior managers of the state.
2. Interdisciplinary Nature of General Theory of National Security
Considering the specifics of modern science formation more attention is paid to the increasing cross-discipline nature of essential research trends. Interdisciplinary is said to a sign of complexity. Its analysis is focused on research trends which produce other more sophisticated scientific disciplines to include GST. With it in mind, an interdisciplinary approach in GST is worth studying.
Cross-discipline nature GST is primarily uncovered in investigating complex problems of ensuring security that urge to use the methodology of many scientific disciplines and movements. In GST research different scientific disciplines complement each other contributing to the integrity of analyzing security phenomena. Each of these disciplines has its own approach and is committed to complete its subtask. Some of them are focused on supplements and elaboration of specialized theories of national security; the others deal with working out new forms of knowledge expression, getting an insight into genetic background, place and objectives to be tackled in general system of GST.
Analyzing complex problems of the science it’s worth considering specific features of scientific cognition: scientific evolution brings knowledge, unveils qualities and rules of a new class of phenomena and processes and further sharpens ways and methods of scientific research. Sophisticated nature of GST is revealed in addressing the question of how they actually improve scientific efforts. Its solution is based on structural analysis of scientific cognition that divides scientific research into fundamental and applied.
Slide 12
Where should we put general security theory?
Fundamental research is often labeled as a searching one. It is said that fundamental research creates new methods rather than applies and enhances the established ones. In many cases fundamental science is coined “pure”.
Applied sciences deal with practical objectives. It should be pointed out however that applied research is mainly focused on investigating rather than designing security systems or technologies. The difference between fundamental and applied research lies in specifics of selecting research lines and targets. Nevertheless, methods and outcomes have their own value. In fundamental science problem-selecting is primarily determined by internal logic of its development and technical means for appropriate experiments. Unlike, in applied sciences the selection of problems and targets of research is directly linked to the influence of public demands — technical, economic, social objectives.
Interdisciplinary approach is to the great extent determined by hierarchical component in setting and handling research objectives and their solution is viewed as hierarchical structure of patterns pertaining to different phenomena and processes. Its uniting core involves working out a basic model, principal features of those patterns and processes.
For the lack of time I just want to propose my own science conclusions/
Slide 13
1.the problem of security is system-wide, i.e. calls for treating security as a system and using systemic thinking for its adequate understanding; and comprehensive on the other hand, i.e. covering multi-subject knowledge. It can be stated that the problem of security bears an interdisciplinary nature.
2. The lack of integral system of knowledge about national security produces the need for its formation under current circumstances. Specifics of object and subject (a variety of aspects, directions and features, dimensions) and interdisciplinary nature of the problem generate a need for formulating relevant cross-discipline research methodology. Thus, the investigation of national security should be based on interdisciplinary methodology.
3. Finally, the application of interdisciplinary methodology produces common solutions which may be applied to both integrity-creating field — general security theory — and other applied theories in security. Therefore, the problem-solving should consider its cross-discipline nature. It naturally leads to the following trinity which enables to substantiate the interdisciplinary nature of GST: cross-discipline problem calls for interdisciplinary methodology in order to get an cross-discipline solution.
3. Architecture of Scientific Approach to Study of Security Components.
According to the above provisions, it’s worth outlining the algorithm of modeling management subsystems in definite areas of activity. It is a must since the modeling comprises a process and actions within it follow a certain sequence and are interrelated. So, the subsystems of security management should be modeled as follows.
Slide 14
Step 1: dealing with the concept and nature of a concrete type of security, its role in the system of national security.
Defining the notion of a concrete type of security should take into account the fact that national security represents a kind of social activity which involves an intentional purposeful impact by a command agent on national security system, under which public and private institutions create favorable conditions for progressive development of national interests, sources of well-being and ensure the effective performance of national security system.
Hence, the definition of environmental security should consider its specific features, objective laws, rules and principles of development and finally characteristics. Every notion of any security type is described keeping in mind that it constitutes an element of national security.
It’s worth mentioning here the methodology of this scientific field — a set of goals, principles and functions that in their integrity create a new quality and are realized by adequate means. All the components should be integrated in a single system and correlated
Step 2: simulating a threat to national security in a specific area taking into account real and regulatory threats as defined as well as potential and non-regulatory ones that are omitted therein and within security law, but still affect relevant matters.
Similarly, defining the notion of threats in a particular area of activity should be guided by GST method which represents the principle of self-organization of national security research.
Once applied, this method contributes to the correlative liaison between basic notions of GST and applied theories which study theoretical and practical problems of national security in concrete areas of activity.
That’s why, the consideration of threats to national security in concrete spheres of life should be focused on regulatory threats as defined by the above Law and non-regulatory ones omitted therein.
Step 3: formulating a model of national security system in a specific area of activity.
National security system is not identical to that of ensuring national security with the former being complementary and functional and playing a role of support element. Consequently, its modeling in a concrete area of activity should take into account:
1) paradigm of national security in a definite sphere of NS;
2) objects, agents and subject of national security in a definite sphere of NS;
3) national interests in a certain area of national security to be correlated with the nation’s concept and national idea;
4) general model of national security system in a definite sphere of NS;
5) system of priority national interests in a particular area of activity;
6) position and function of the system for ensuring national security in general system of national security.
Slide 15
Step 4: modeling a system of ensuring national security in a certain area taking into account:
- nature, purpose and operating objective of the system for ensuring national security in a specific area of activity;
- components of public security system and its competence;
- components of private security system and its competence;
- public private partnership;
- analysis of performance and accountability of agencies empowered to ensure national security of Ukraine;
- system of control and supervision over activity of agents that ensure national security.
For the ease of comprehension, the system for ensuring national security derives from and operates according to the objectives of national security system. Thus, the structure of ensuring system depends on operating objectives of national security system as well as threats and dangers.
Slide 5
Step 5: modeling key directions of state policy for national security in a particular area considering national interests set forth at Step 3 and national threats outlined at Step 2. Those directions should be obviously correlated with threats and dangers to national security and not the structure of ensuring systems analyzed at Step 4. Whether state policy is effective is determined by the result achieved in managing threats and dangers, i.e. by the level of national interests being realized. Logically, the fundamental criterion of state policy comprise national interest, threats and dangers to them rather than funds and resources of subjects which pursue national security. Still, resources play an important but not a decisive role if compared with threats. One more challenge in this respect involves working out the criteria on which security means are eligible to specific categories of national interests.
Therefore, general modeling algorithm should contain the following interrelated elements: system of priority national interests — system of threats — system of means — system of bodies.
Systemic approach to the modeling of national security management system in any area of activity will be of a system-wide nature that is directly related to systemic nature of national security as a multi-layered structure.
Failure to implement or ineffective performance of ensuring system elements specified at Step 4 or availability of activities omitted by the current legislation will encourage recommendations on optimizing organizational and functional structure of system for ensuring national security.