Statecraft

Definition and conceptions

The word statecraft, dating from the 1640s, refers to the art of conducting public affairs, which entails leading a state or country. Statecraft is thus said to be the practice of a statesman (derived from the Dutch staatsman), stateswoman, or statesperson. Statecraft is a synonym of statesmanship, but in a narrow form may also be synonymous with public diplomacy. Beyond a superficial level, however, finding an exact definition of statecraft is difficult and it is a contested concept which political scientist Wilfred M. McClay calls "always a tricky, elusive matter—hard to come by, hard to measure, and hard even to define or describe."

The Ancient Greek philosopher Plato conceived of the statesman in his dialogue of the same name as one who oversees and guides the work of many others:

There is an art which controls all these arts. It is concerned with the laws and with all that belongs to the life of the community. It weaves all into its unified fabric with perfect skill. It is a universal art and so we call it by a name of universal scope. That name is one which I believe to belong to this art and to this alone, the name of 'Statesmanship'.

Plato's conception of statesmanship greatly influenced Sir Thomas More, who considered the "statesman" to be a virtuous leader armed with both the science and art of ruling. He sought to personally cultivate what he conceived as the three elements of statesmanship, those being its science, art, and presupposed personal virtue.

According to Andrew Brady Spalding, the word statecraft may allow a narrow and a broad understanding. The narrow conception can be defined as "managing relations between states to the advantage of one's own country", a traditional usage dating back to Niccolò Machiavelli. Otherwise, the term can be used broadly, as Colin Talbot puts it, "for the study of states and governments and how to successfully build, run and adapt them, internally and externally."