...Why are theories of international relations important? First of all, international relation is the study of relationship between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organization, international nongovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and multinational corporations. In our modern society, globalization has made countries dependent with each other due to the rapid flow of goods, services, people, information and ideas that is driven by economic factor, which includes increasing productive potential and creating new opportunities for international trade and investment, technological factor, which involves faster information access and easier international activities, and demographical factor, which involves different characteristics and resources in different areas. According to the Essentials of International Relations by Karen A Mingst, theory is a set of propositions and concepts that seek to explain phenomena by specifying the relationships among the concepts. So theory of international relation is a set of propositions and concepts that seek to explain international relation phenomena by specifying the relationships among the concepts. Therefore the theory of international relationship is important to analyze political events and their background. For example, behind US attack to Iraq, there were issues of terrorism, Saddam Hussein as an individual, democracy, and weapon. Moreover using the theories of international relationship...
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...Contemporary international relations is a complex field. Understanding events and attempting to make sense of them can be a daunting task. There are, however, tools available, which can assist in providing clarity to these complex issues. The first of these tools is historic knowledge. Without historic background of an issue, it is nearly impossible to understand the events driving that issue in modern times. A second tool, the one which will be the focus of this paper, is international relations theory. Theory can be defined as “a belief, policy, or procedure proposed or followed as the basis of action,” (Merriam-Webster) and can be used “in many cases as a basis of prediction.” (Mingst 56) There are three major theories which we can use to analyze events: liberalism, realism, and constructivism. These theories provide us with different points of view from which to analyze issues in today’s world. By looking at events, both past and present, in the context of a given theory, we can begin to understand those events and the driving forces behind them, as well as to make predictions about future events. The first of these theories, liberalism, is based upon the belief that man is innately good and that social conditions can be improved, paving the way for progress. Liberalism has its roots in “Enlightenment optimism, nineteenth-century political and economic liberalism, and twentieth-century Wilsonian idealism.” (Mingst 60) Liberalism sees man as rational, and through...
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...What are the main obstacles to international cooperation between states? Assess with reference to realism and liberalism. According to Kenneth Waltz, the way states behave is determined by the permanent state of anarchy in which the international system exists. The lack of an ordering sovereign authority to oversee relations between states dominates debate between scholars as to whether the world will ever be a peaceful, threat-free environment. In order to eliminate war and conflict, cooperation must characterize states’ behaviour towards one another, a system in which ‘the security of each [state] is perceived as the responsibility of all’ (Wendt, 1999). The question then becomes why, if cooperation leads to rewards for everyone, do states enter into conflict and war? International Relations theorists seek to explain this paradox by examining the obstacles to cooperation. For classical realists, the answer is simple; lust for power and a drive for conflict are rooted within human nature and, since humans are the operators of state actors, state behaviour mimics this nature in its approach to international relations. Neo-realists, by contrast, follow Waltz in his belief that the anarchic structure of the international system causes states to seek security and power, and therefore provides the ultimate obstacle to cooperation. While liberals disagree altogether, offering the counterargument that men are rational, and therefore states choose to engage in conflict in order to pursue...
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...International Relations Theory The new edition of International Relations Theory: A critical introduction introduces students to the main theories in international relations. It explains and analyzes each theory, allowing students to understand and critically engage with the myths and assumptions behind each theory. Key features of this textbook include: • discussion of all of the main theories: realism and (neo)realism, idealism and (neo)idealism, liberalism, constructivism, postmodernism, gender, and globalization two new chapters on the “clash of civilizations” and Hardt and Negri’s Empire innovative use of narratives from films that students will be familiar with: Lord of the Flies, Independence Day, Wag the Dog, Fatal Attraction, The Truman Show, East is East, and Memento an accessible and exciting writing style which is well-illustrated with boxed key concepts and guides to further reading. • • • This breakthrough textbook has been designed to unravel the complexities of international relations theory in a way that allows students a clearer idea of how the theories work and the myths that are associated with them. Cynthia Weber is Professor of International Studies at the University of Lancaster. She is the author of several books and numerous articles in the field of international relations. International Relations Theory A critical introduction Second edition Cynthia Weber First published 2001 by Routledge Second edition published 2005 by Routledge...
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...Introduction to Neoliberalism/Neoliberal Institutionalism The theory/theoretical framework that is used to examine cooperation between nation-states, which emphasizes the possibility of mutual gains Related terminology 1. Absolute gain: a theoretical option open to political actors based on the belief that decisions will benefit all organisations within a state and/or all member states within an intergovernmental organisation (IGO) Includes all aspects of cooperative behaviour between states; especially power ratios, economic activity and socio-cultural effects 2. Relative gain: a theoretical option open to political actors based on the belief that decisions are only intended to balance power relations between states or increase the power of one state over its rivals Generally disregards economic and socio-cultural considerations, and only allows limited cooperation between states (especially in relations where information about other states’ interests and inclinations is limited) 3. Zero-sum: a relational state wherein a participant's gain or loss is exactly balanced by the losses or gains of the other participants (assuming that total gains of the participants are added, and the total losses are subtracted, the numerical result will sum to zero) Particularly useful in competitive relations, and explains economic behaviour such as opportunity cost and absolute advantage Non-zero sum: a relational state wherein all participants act based upon their respective efficient capabilities...
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...From traditional to critical security Why security? * It is fundamental to international relations. * States will often regard security as one of the most important factor. * Refer to lecture slides What is security? * Security most heavily contested and discussed concepts. * Security is inherently subjective 3 core lines of disagreement between scholars over security ( Test ) * What should we seek to secure? * What do we need to secure? What are most important to states? * Who or what should be responsible for providing security? The state? Or the people? Traditional security studies * Focuses on Military forces, states, armed conflict. * Liberalism was a popular approach to study of IR * Realists opposes them * Concept of security became closesly associated with military dynamics of cold war * Nuclear weapons were developed. * States are responsible for providing their own security * The states is always central for the 3 core lines * Main method for securing the state is to bolster high military grade technology and weapons Critical security studies * It responds to the first question of what should we secure by suggesting that it is the individual or other things * IT suggests that we should secure the individual. * It covers different theoretical approaches. * Professor Keith Krause, Ken Booth and Michael Williams were the key people that wrote on CSS * Read ketih Krause article...
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...Theories of International Relations Third edition Scott Burchill, Andrew Linklater, Richard Devetak, Jack Donnelly, Matthew Paterson, Christian Reus-Smit and Jacqui True Theories of International Relations This page intentionally left blank Theories of International Relations Third edition Scott Burchill, Andrew Linklater, Richard Devetak, Jack Donnelly, Matthew Paterson, Christian Reus-Smit and Jacqui True Material from 1st edition © Deakin University 1995, 1996 Chapter 1 © Scott Burchill 2001, Scott Burchill and Andrew Linklater 2005 Chapter 2 © Jack Donnelly 2005 Chapter 3 © Scott Burchill, Chapters 4 and 5 © Andrew Linklater, Chapters 6 and 7 © Richard Devetak, Chapter 8 © Christian Reus-Smit, Chapter 9 © Jacqui True, Chapter 10 © Matthew Paterson 2001, 2005 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of this work in accordance with the Copyright...
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...THE MAN OF STEEL AND THE DRAGON: AUSTRALIA’S RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA DURING THE HOWARD ERA PROPOSAL INTRODUCTION On consecutive days in October 2003, President George W Bush of the United States of America and President Hu Jintao of People’s Republic of China addressed joint sittings of both houses of the Australian Parliament. This historic occasion symbolises how Australia conducted its foreign relations with ‘East’ and ‘West’ during the Howard Era. The pragmatic decision to allow Hu Jintao to become the first non-American foreigner to address both houses demonstrates how Howard viewed Sino-Australian relations. It showed the world that it was possible to have warm relations with both the United States and China. By the end of the Howard Era in 2007, China had become Australia’s major trading partner. This was a far cry from 1996, when in the first months of the newly elected Howard Government a series of events caused severe tensions in Sino-Australian relations, as described below. This culminated in the Chinese response of banning visits to China by Australian ministers, a serious manoeuvre in the nuanced world of diplomacy. From these frosty beginnings, the relationship between the two nations strengthened considerably, for a variety of reasons, some of them outside Australia’s control. Paul Keating may have sown the seeds to Australia’s ‘pivot’ to Asia, but it was the Howard Government that undertook the most significant shift in orientation, cumulating in...
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...Iran and Israel have long been enigmatic players on the international stage, belonging to the Middle East but not quite identifying with the majority of its inhabitants. For the sole majority-ethnic Persian state in the Middle East and one of the few Shiite Muslim ones, friction and tension have been constant features of its relations with the predominantly Arab and Sunni Middle Eastern states. If Iran is somewhat of an outcast in the region, this is even more the case for Israel as the only ethnically and religiously Jewish state, not only in the region but in the world at large. Aside from Turkey, which is really the only other significant non-Arab state actor in the region, Iran and Israel represent deviations from the norm of mostly Sunni Muslim and ethnically Arab states in the Middle East. Still, what stands out as truly unique in the modern Middle East is the Iranian-Israeli connection, a facet of international politics unparalleled elsewhere in terms of Persian-Jewish contact and cooperation spanning thousands of years, overall international interdependence, and the abrupt switch from amity to enmity as of 1979. While the international media has cast an ever-stronger spotlight on the Iranian-Israeli relationship in the past five or ten years, it has long deserved closer scrutiny. For two countries to be as intertwined at the political, military, economic and societal levels – like Iran and Israel from the 1950s through to the 1970s – and then to become and remain bitter...
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...Foreign Policy Module Summative Assessment Question 1: Foreign policy must be formulated in accordance with the national interest’. Evaluate this claim which is attributable to realist thinking on foreign policy. * * According to realist thinking on foreign policy, international relations and politics are formulated in accordance with national interest. This presupposes that the key actors in International Relations are sovereign states that behave similarly regardless of their type of government. As well, a state of anarchy is at the fundamental core of this argument and national interests of egoistic states as the main outward presence in international realm. Classic Realism, originally emerged from the European concert of aristocratic diplomacy. By evaluating this claim, this essay will reassert the position and importance of Offensive and Defensive Realism in our contemporary post 9/11 world. These are respectively neoclassical realism and neorealism. Firstly, a detailed account of realism will be produced highlighting the emergence of national interest as the fundamental feature or goal of sovereign states. This is done either through the maintenance of a status quo or aspiration of accumulating influence. It will be concluded that Defensive Realism or neorealism is the principal theoretical sub-school in according this claim any legitimacy. Secondly, a general evaluation of neorealism in post 9/11 world will be provided; and a comparison, and ultimately an...
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...the Arab Spring were intended for good, it did not achieve positive results. It actually created more problems and threatened the security and stability of the Arab countries. The theoretical perspective that the author used is a structural realist one. He drew on the theory of Kenneth Waltz and argued that the future of international politics is going to be filled with complications and difficulties. The theory of structural realism argues that the highest goal of states is to attain power (Jackson & Sorensen 2013: 81). Even though this is so, the states are guided by the principle of anarchy and are restricted by the structure of the system since it is the one that determines how states behave. The power of states such as Russia and China is increasing which threatens to move the balance of power from unipolar to multipolar which will be dangerous because the rise in numbers of great powers is likely to cause problems in the future since each state seeks its own interest (Coetzee 2013: 310). [ 263 Words] QUESTION 2 There are two dominant sub themes in the article. The first one is liberal optimism and the second one is the future of world politics. Liberal optimism comes from the “democratic-peace theory” and argues that if all the states in the world...
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...realists in the study of politics that wrote in a more theoretical sense, as well as the founding father of International Relations. His study on the History of the Peloponnesian War provides awareness of the conflict and various analyses on the causes of the war by observing the strategic interaction between the states, hierarchy amongst the states along with legitimacy and levels of power to determine the pattern of their relations. Although there are undeniably numerous differences between Thucydides era and our world system today, Thucydides persists to influence contemporary international relations, namely Realism, with many realists frequently referring to the Melian Dialogue when advocating a power-based approach. With Thucydides often portraying insights into human nature, many scholars use his findings as a guide that is still relevant today due to the generality of self-interest, fear and power maximisation that still occurs as it did previously. Thucydides’ relevance today has been greatly perceived through his impact upon political realism in his studies concerning the concept of power politics. Whilst political realism expresses the view that international relations is the battle of self-interested states that are involved in the struggle of power politics within a permanent moral-free state of anarchy, Thucydides’ work denotes that international relations is anarchical and dissolute. When analysing the strategic interaction of states and the hierarchy amongst them...
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...present day’s context of international affairs, the question of whether international institutions matter, seems to be at the center of world politics debates. Depending on the school of thought adopted one might have a very different understanding of what do international institutions mean, what is the process of their development and finally what is their impact in world politics. It is a common belief that international institutions are necessary to promote peace and ensure stability in a state. However, looking from the realist perspective one will tend to be more skeptical when assessing the importance of international institutions and claim that they will not foster cooperation or...
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...International Security Lecture 1 March 30th, 2015 The politics of security knowledge What is international security? We could start thinking about the security council of the UN But also about the invasion of Afghanistan (chapter 7 UN in order to secure the international security) We can also think about security in terms of the invasion of Iraq in 2003. This was a unilateral act of war, but sure it can also mean other things We can think of the national security agency, the agency in charge of spying all the signals and communications to a certain extent. What’s interesting about the NSA, it is seen as a threat to the security of the privacy. Lately, with the reports of the UN development programme, we start talking about HUMAN security (not military security, but rather the security of individuals, having a livelihood that’s acceptable). Whether security is international or not, it can be a rather confusing word The protection of values we hold dear. We search for it, we pursue it, we achieve it, we deny it to others. * what is to be secured? Is it the security of states? Or individuals? * What is the actual threat that we’re facing? Primarily to be dealing with military threats, or are there other types of threats we are facing. Essentially contested concept A concept that ‘inevitably’ involves endless disputes about their proper uses on the part of their users – Walter Gallie There can be ambiguity (one persons freedom-fighter is the other’s...
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...realist theorys. there are two types of realist theorys these are left and right realism. In summary, realists think that humankind is not inherently benevolent but rather self-centered and competitive. This perspective, which is shared by theorists such as Thomas Hobbes, views human nature as egocentric (not necessarily selfish) and conflictual unless there exist conditions under which humans may coexist. It is also disposed of the notion that an individual's intuitive nature is made up of anarchy. In regards to self-interest, these individuals are self-reliant and are motivated in seeking more power. They are also believed to be fearful. This view contrasts with the approach of liberalism to international relations. The state emphasizes an interest in accumulating power to ensure security in an anarchic world. Power is a concept primarily thought of in terms of material resources necessary to induce harm or coerce other states (to fight and win wars). The use of power places an emphasis on coercive tactics being acceptable to either accomplish something in the national interest or avoid something inimical to the national interest. The state is the most important actor under realism. It is unitary and autonomous because it speaks and acts with one voice. The power of the state is understood in terms of its military capabilities. A key concept under realism is the international distribution of power referred to as system polarity. Polarity refers to the number of blocs...
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