Original scientific paper

ANARCHY IN THE FIFTH BATTLEFIELD: CYBER-SPACE AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Petar Popović ; Libertas – Dubrovnik International University, Dubrovnik, Croatia

Abstract

In the past two decades, cyber-space became the new, “fifth battlefield” in the
field of international relations. Decision-makers and scholars agree that the
major threat to national security of every state today is cyber-war, cyber-terror
and cyber-crime. This is due to the lack of inter-state institutional and legal
framework for cyber-space. Thus, the inter-state relations in cyber-space is
one of classical Hobbesian anarchy. This article examines: 1. the essence and
nature of cyber-space and its relation to international society, in the context
of world technological domination that makes anarchy possible; 2. the main
aspects of anarchy in cyber-space during the past two decades; 3. the possibility
of institutionalization of international legal system (through multilateral
treaty) in cyber-space, from the perspective of three distinct IR theoretical traditions:
Hobbesian, rationalist and Kantian/moral.

Keywords

Cyber-space; Cyber-war; International Society; International Law; Hobbes; Anarchy

Hrčak ID:

111723

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/111723

Publication date:

5.12.2013.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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