The Antarctic Treaty as an Ultrasocial, Networked Project

• In Event: Treaties and Conventions

Abstract

The 1959 Antarctic Treaty is often touted as an example of successful Science Diplomacy, not only preserving the Southern Continent for international scientific study, but also setting aside rivalries and territorial claims to achieve this better outcome. This study reanalysis the drafting of the Antarctic Treaty in the newer frameworks of Transnational Political Networks and Ultrasociality. These frameworks argue that many difficult instances of cooperation are achieved through networked coordination by actors who prioritize the common good as a means of seeking an optimistic view of the future. Literature in this field departs from traditional views of humankind as conflictual, drawing from neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and anthropology to instead make the assumption that humans are naturally cooperative. This study makes use of archival primary sources and travaux préparatoires to examine if this newer framing is a helpful theoretical explanation of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty.

Author

• Nathanial Walker, Brandeis University