The forgotten history of geoeconomics: A conceptual analysis

For the last three decades, geoeconomics has been a topic of interest in IR. Yet, so far the intellectual roots of geoeconomics have not been explored sufficiently. As a result, geoeconomics is often still falsely perceived as a new concept that developed out of geopolitics. This paper dispels this persistent misconception and aims to increase the overall conceptual and historical awareness for geoeconomics, by shining light on the concept’s forgotten history, its emergence, and varied usage. Besides addressing the intellectual roots of the term “geoeconomics”, the paper also elaborates on the relevance of the term’s historical roots for today’s understanding of the concept. I argue that a conceptual analysis is needed to understand the hidden but lasting impact of the roots of geoeconomics on today’s interpretations of it. The method employed for this end is a historical conceptual analysis. The conceptual analysis applies the widest possible time frame, in order to uncover the lost history and the forgotten theoretical roots of geoeconomics. This paper presents the first conceptual analysis of geoeconomics that traces the origins of the term back to the interwar period, when geoeconomics was first conceptualised by the German scholars Röpke and Dix. Their fruitful conceptual rivalry displayed that geoeconomics has always been a deeply contested concept. On an ideological level, one can observe a clash of norms and underlying paradigmatic assumptions. On a methodological level, the conflict is about the envisaged nature and function of concepts, and the role they play in good scientific practice. Both issues are still present in modern definitions of geoeconomics. Delving into the conceptual history of geoeconomics has two advantages. On the one hand, it allows for a more precise differentiation between geoeconomics and geopolitics. In this regard, the paper shows that geoeconomics did not evolve from geopolitics, but that the two concepts developed simultaneously. Both emerged around the same time and developed into two separate concepts. From a historical point of view, both concepts are clearly distinct from one another. The wide spread idea that geoeconomics is a subfield, or strand, of geopolitics, that developed in the 1990s after the end of the Cold War, is therefore clearly refuted. On the other hand, a better understanding of the origins of geoeconomics allows us to develop geoeconomics into an independent concept in International Relations. Most contemporary conceptions of geoeconomics still display the same methodological and ideological features as their century-old conceptual ancestors. The clash of norms and underlying paradigmatic assumptions, often linked to either liberal or illiberal worldviews, is still very present. Increasing the conceptual awareness for geoeconomics is more important than ever in times of reoccurring nationalistic and protectionist ideas about geoeconomics. Familiarity with illiberal geoeconomic interpretations of the past can help identifying dangerous parallels with current interpretations of the concept.