Chapter 2: Theories of IR §

I. Introduction §

4 Classical Theoretical Traditions in IR

• Realism: Pessimistic
• Liberalism: Optimistic
• International Society: international system is a society
• International Political Economy: Politics and Economy is interconnected, andare most important

3 Major Debates

• Utopian Liberalism vs Realism: Realism wins
• Traditional Approaches vs Behaviorism: debate which method of studying IR is better
• Neorealism vs Neoliberalism vs Neo-Marxism

We are in an early stage of the 4th debate

• Current: Traditions vs Post-positivism

II. Utopian Liberalism §

First liberalism 1910s-1920s

Purpose: to avoid future conflicts and achieve peace

First World War cause:

• Uninformed Decisions of leaders
• Democratic Bound by Alliances to assist in wars
• unbalanced powers

Influence of Liberalism §

Woodrow Wilson’s main mission was to spread liberalism to Europe and the Globe

14 Points Programme to ‘make the world safe with democracy

lead to the creation of the League of nations

Woodrow Wilson’s 2 Main Ideas (28th US president) §

• Promotion of Democracy and self-determination: no colonies ⇒ all autonomous democratic states.
  • Democratic States don’t go to war with one another
• Creation of International Organization: intelligently designed with rules and laws to reduce the chance of war. “a forest with caged beasts”
  • Act as middle ground to settle disputes peacefully

Normal Angell (Author of the Great Illusion) §

Illusion: war gives profit to winners

Reality: war disrupts commerce and is very expensive to operate

Modernization and Economic Interdependence: The more developed countries are the less war is useful to their growth.

Woodrow Wilson + Normal Angell ⇒ International Organization to benefit all

• Humans are rational, using reason to create a good IO that benefits everyone
• Open Diplomacy: put pressure on states, hand tying

The fall of “Utopian Liberalism” seen as wishful thinking (1920s)

• Nazi dictatorship
• Growth of Authoritarianism
• Lessen importance of democracy
• Failure/dysfunctional of LoN: withdrawal of Italy, Japan, Germany’s membership
• Great Depression
  • National Interests First: Protectionism

III. Realism and the 20 years Crisis §

Edward Hallet Carr §

• Criticize Utopian Liberalism
  • Liberalism is too perfect
  • The conflicts of interests between countries and people
    • rich countries will defend to preserve their position
    • poor countries will fight for a better position
• Interstate conflicts are constant (competitions)
• Conflicting desires between rich and poor
• Humans are self interested ⇒ aggression
• International politics is just struggle for power
• History will repeat: world wars Ex:
  • After WW1 Germany is made to repay damages for the World War 1, Putting pressure on the country
  • Germany started World War 2 due to pressure

Utopian Liberalism vs Realism §

The first International Relations Debate

Utopian Liberalism (1920s)

Realism (1930s - 1950s)

Realism won because it applied to more the world in the period

The first international relations debate was between Realism and Liberalism. Liberalism was the optimistic theory which appeared during the 1910s picturing the prosperous world with no conflicts and constant peace through interdependence and cooperation among states. This theory was pushed and Realism gained traction after World War 1. Realism takes a pessimistic standpoint stating all states are self-interested, the international system is bound to be anarchic, and history of conflicts and struggle for power will always repeat. Realism won the first debate as it applied to the situation of International politics in 1930s and 1950s better than liberalism’s wishful thinking.

IV. The Voice of Behaviouralism in IR §

Arguments of different approach/methodology of studying International Relations

Discussed in the 2nd debateThe Four Great Debates in IR

Traditionalists Approach §

to account for history, facts, values, morals, philosophy (Interpretative/Subjective)

Approach

• Human Nature cannot be cut from human relations studies
• Subjects: law, philosophy, history, morality
• Focus on Understanding using assumptions
• Theory does apply to theorists

Behaviouralists Scientific Approach §

use of data, research, statistics to determine IR (Objective answer).

Approach

• The Objective approach to use scientific data, research, and facts to determine one objective answer
• Subjects: Mathematics, Economics
• Method: Hypothesis, Collection of data for research
• Focus on Explaining using samples
• Theory does not apply to theorist

No real winner: differing arguments on different aspects with little overlapping.

V. Neo-Liberalism §

Behaviorist approach died down, but inspired later theories to use the same methods

Initial Liberalism §

1950s, Western regional integration led to

• Realization of mutual advantage of cross-border activities
• Non-sensitive fields cooperation led to further interdependence in other areas.

Four Strands of Neoliberalism §

• Sociological Liberalism: transnational relations, between people, groups, and organizations between nations.
  • Peaceful nature is driven by mutual interest
• Interdependence Liberalism: interdependent countries rarely voluntarily get in conflict with one another.
  • welfare is the primary concern for states
  • military power more and more irrelevant, powerful states grow with trade, not invasion anymore
• Institutional Liberalism: formal and informal institutions can felicitate states’ relations, cooperation, and collective security.
  • Regimes, agreements, informal meetings might be looser less binding ways to gain cooperation with cautious states
• Republican Liberalism: liberal democratic states don’t go to war with each other
  • Democratic Peace Theory : Democratic states go to war less with one another
  • This is due to democracies are ran by the people, and people never want war.

VI. Structural Realism §

Kenneth Waltz §

• International systems are anarchic
• The international system is composed of small and big units doing the same functions(states)
  • National Defence
  • Taxation
  • Governance
• States differ solely through power(relative capabilities)

States’ Nature

• Great Powers: balance each other out
• Small Powers: align themselves with great powers to preserve their autonomy
• States cooperate for self-benefit/perservence of autonomy, not for mutual interests.

VII. English School §

International Society is the middle ground between Realism and Liberalism

an expansion to the debate of liberalism vs realism (more open)

IS influential elements in the International System are

• Power, national interest (realist)
• Rules, procedures, international law (liberal)
• Universal human rights, one world for all (cosmopolitan)

🏢 All these elements are influential to some extent and contribute to state’s interest all the same or at one time or another.

VIII. IPE §

Karl Marx (the most famous IPE scholar) §

he praised him Marxism way of IR

• The capitalists/bourgeoisie always exploits and oppresses the poor/proletariat will be a constant characteristic of the international system
  • The Rich will try to keep the proletariat poor and they will always be rich

Liberal and Realist IPE debated against each other

Liberal IPE §

Everyone involved in the expansion of the capitalist economic system will prosperous and make everyone better off

• Reasoning that no one would bother with liberalism if it’s not beneficial

Realist IPE §

States should control the wealth, economic activities to build a strong state to support national interest

• similar to mercantilism: states have to maximize their wealth (wealthy = powerful)
• Economy could only function smoothly with a central political power looking over it (need 1 hegemon to control the market to provide public goods)

The Third Major Debate in International Relations §

• Neo-realism vs Neo-liberalism vs Neo-Marxism
• Winner: No clear winner (debated till today)
• Need to include the discussion of socio-economic and welfare as well because the inclusion of Marxism

The Fourth Major Debate §

emerging theory saying that the past 3 debates didn’t accurately represent IR anymore

• These alternative approaches are debating against traditionals Realism, Liberalism, IS, IPE
  • Social-Constructivism
  • Post-positivist methodologies
  • Key issues in contemporary IR