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This article proposes that in addition to physical security, states also seek ontological security, or security of the self. Ontological security is achieved by routinizing relationships with significant others, and actors therefore become attached to those relationships. Like its physical counterpart, the ontological security motive is a constant. But states may adhere to routines rigidly or reflexively, and variation in attachment style has implications for security-seeking. This article conceptualizes the individual-level need for ontological security, scales it up to states, and applies the ontological security-seeking assumption to the security dilemma. Realists argue that states want to escape security dilemmas but uncertainty prevents them. Ontological security-seeking suggests that states may not want to escape dilemmatic conflict. Because even dangerous routines provide ontological security, rational security-seekers could become attached to conflict. Ontological security-seeking sheds new light on seemingly irrational conflict, and suggests lines of research into the stability of other outcomes in world politics.
KEY WORDS * attachment * intractable conflict * ontological security * routines * security dilemma * uncertainty
The security dilemma is the heart of structural realist theory: in anarchy, actions taken for one's own security can threaten the security of others, leading to arms races, conflict and war. The fundamental cause of the security dilemma is uncertainty. As Randall Schweller ( 1996: 119-20) points out, a world of known greedy states generates no 'dilemma', but insecurity, while a world of known security-seekers generates no 'dilemma', but security (also Glaser, 1997: 19IfF.). But states' intentions (or 'type') are hard to know and easily misperceived. Moreover, even accurate perceptions today give little information about intentions in the future, so states always must be on guard. Uncertainty thus generates the tragedy of world politics, where a world of security-seekers can be a world at war. Structural realists disagree on the extent to which uncertainty can be mitigated and unnecessary conflict avoided. But all assume states seek security and all recognize a causal link between uncertainty and conflict that looms in every state interaction.
An important premise of security dilemma theory is that the security states seek is physical, the protection of their territory and governance structure from others who can cause material harm. This assumption is plausible and productive - indeed, the security dilemma seems...