Baruch Spinoza once said, "Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice". There have been many geopolitical systems in the course of human history some stable some not stable which has guided the course of history, and the path that lies ahead in our time. One believes that the most stable geopolitical system is the balance-of-power system, because equality of power is conducive to peace, an imbalance of power leads to war, and there is historical evidence to back-up the stability of the system.
The balance-of-power systems equality of power creates one of the best situations for peace to thrive. Given large numbers of nations with varying amounts of power each one motivated to maximize its own power, there is a predisposition of the entire system to be in equilibrium. That is, the various nations cluster themselves together in such a manner that no solitary nation or group of nations is strong enough to overwhelm the others, for its power is balanced by that of some opposing group.
Study room of Spinoza
English: Cover of a publication of Baruch Spinoza'...
Spinoza's house in Rijnsburg from 1661-3, now a mu...As long as the balance can be maintained, there is peace and the independence of small nations is preserved. It is clear that the major device through which the balance-of-power system is maintained is the making and unmaking of changeable alliances. One believes the central reason for this reliance on coalitions in order to adjust the allocation of power is that the power resources of each member of the system are inflexible. One believes that there is no way a nation can boost its own power very much except by adding its allies' strength to its own, or by diminishing its adversaries power by unraveling it, through influence, bribery, or subversion, from its allies. The best example of this...