REALISM
Realists Believe...
HUMAN NATURE IS EVIL
See also: Neo-Realism, Neo-Classical Realism, Offensive Realism
HUMAN NATURE IS EVIL
- Realists have a pessimistic view of human nature, and thus believe that human beings are inherently evil.
- Conflict is something natural amongst humans.
- What is anarchy? Anarchy means that there is no central government in the international system. This does not mean that there is total chaos, the system is somewhat organized, and is therefore referred to as an "anarchical society."
- Due to anarchy, we live in a self-help world (in which countries must fend for themselves and where security becomes the most important goal in order to survive).
- State A's relative power to State B is crucial (the international system is a zero-sum game, therefore your loss = opponent's gain, your gain = opponent's loss).
- States are driven by national interest (survival, security, power).
- The Realist Assumption: "All states have same preferences which is to attain security."
- Realism is good at explaining conflict, but not at explaining the maintenance of peace.
- Hans J. Morgenthau
- Kenneth N. Waltz
- Wolfe
- Carr
- Kissinger
See also: Neo-Realism, Neo-Classical Realism, Offensive Realism
LIBERALISM
3 Liberal Pillars:
1. Liberal Institutionalism
2. Political System
3. Economic Interdependence
Liberalists Believe...
HUMAN NATURE IS PERFECTIBLE
1. Liberal Institutionalism
2. Political System
3. Economic Interdependence
- Based on Adam Smith's "harmony of interests," in which using trade as a means reduces incentive to engage in conflict.
Liberalists Believe...
HUMAN NATURE IS PERFECTIBLE
- Liberalists have an optimistic view of human nature, and therefore believe human beings can change if given the proper ingredients.
- Free-trade reduces conflict.
- Based on division of labour and comparable advantage, cooperation is possible.
- Democracies settle disputes peacefully.
- The demands of individuals and societal groups are treated as analytically prior to politics.
- Individual rights and liberty are fundamental. "The Freedom of the individual"
- As opposed to realists, liberalists believe all states have different preferences due to the domestic politics of that state.
- Adam Smith
- Moravscik
- Doyle
CONSTRUCTIVISM
Constructivists Believe...
IDEAS MATTER
Constructivists believe the international system can become peaceful if ideas are properly developed. However, it is because we do not have shared ideas that the system ends up in conflict.
Famous Constructivists
IDEAS MATTER
- Ideas are what really matters for states, not material capabilities.
- Shared ideas get transferred over time.
- The Constructivist Assumption: "The world is what states make of it."
- Ideas turn in to norms, which essentially guide a state's behaviour, and impact decisions made about foreign policy. I.e. culture
- Ideas are subjective and are fabricated over time, and therefore notions such as anarchy and sovereignty are not "brute facts" about reality at all, but constitute social inventions that human beings fashioned themselves.
- Theories can become self-fulfilling prophecies, such as democratic peace theory.
Constructivists believe the international system can become peaceful if ideas are properly developed. However, it is because we do not have shared ideas that the system ends up in conflict.
Famous Constructivists
- Alexander Wendt
- Houghton