Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism, Marxism & Post-Colonialism

Seite 1

Realism

Basic Ideas:

System: Anarchy

Self-Help - Alliances - Military

Survival

IR: Struggle for Power

Main Actor: States

History of Realism:

Derived from Thucydides: History of the Peloponnesian War

Thucydides is mostly a first-image theorist: he argues that humans are driven by fear, ambition, and self-interest.

Theorists:

Hans Morgenthau: Classical Realism

Kenneth Waltz: Structural Realism

John Mearsheimer: Offensive Realism

Types Realism:

Classical: War is caused by human lust for power and glory

Structural: War is caused by the structure of the international system.

Classical Realism:

Power: Currency of World Politics, Relative, Measured by Military Forces

National Interest: Survival, Expansion

Balance of Power:

INTERNAL BALANCING: building up its own military capability.

EXTERNAL BALANCING: forming alliances with other states.

Criticism of classical realism:

"Human Nature" for power unscientific and hard to prove.

Can't explain periods of war and peace.

It uses human nature to explain war.

Seite 2

Realism Continued

Structural Realism (neo-realism):

Bipolarity is stable, Multipolar is prone war.

Anarchy is constant; Great Powers change over time (China vs USA)

Security: build defense capabilities = offensive capabilities.

Third-Image=Billiard Ball Model= Don't care about domestic politics.

Types of Structural Realism:

Defensive Realism: States try to achieve security.

Stabilizing Effect = Punish Aggressive countries e.g. Nazi Germany

Offensive Realism: State try to achieve power.

Hegemon State in region i.e China

Seite 3

Waltz: Three Images (structural realism or neo-realism)

The First Image: Human Beings

Shape IR; bad vs good leader = different outcomes.

The Second Image: The State

Shape IR; Democracies=peace; bad states (eg. fascist or communist countries) =aggressive

Socialists=aggressive

The Third Image: The State System

Structure of international system shape events.

Structure: Distribution of Power

1. UNIPOLAR systems have one great power

2. BIPOLAR systems have two great powers

3. MULTIPOLAR system have many great powers

Seite 4

Liberalism

Theorists:

Immanuel Kant: Perpetual Peace

Richard Cobden

Key Concepts:

Cooperation

Factors for Cooperation:

Free trade and economic interdependence

There are international institutions

There is a “democratic peace”

Trade: Absolute Advantage

Comparative Advantage: Benefit from free trade; Harmony of interests.

Interdependence, Institutions & Elections:

Interdependence & Transnational Actors: Economies Trade more; Less prone to war; Multinational Business Corporations.

International Institutions:

UN: Collective Security, Trade, Finance, Enviro, Human Rights.

Platform for cooperate.

The Theory of Democratic Peace.

Scientific “law” in IR

Democracies don’t fight other democracies.

Three Conditions of Peace:

The “democratic peace”

International Institutions

Globalisation

Radical Liberal:

Protectionism

Heavy Taxes on imposed goods.

Free Trade

Seite 5

Idealism

Basic concepts:

Peace after horrors of war (WW1)

International laws and Institution eliminate secret treaties and institutions

Self-Determination: Ability to rule self (small states) eliminate Empires

Universal Ethics: Human Rights

Theorist/Advocate:

American President, Woodrow Wilson

League of Nations: Collective Security (US refused to join); Failed to prevent WW2.

The old system: alliance security

Alliance (Country A, B, C &D)

Threats from outside (Country E)

The alliance system protects the countries inside the alliance

The new system: collective security.

Every country in the COLLECTIVE SECURITY system.

Threats from inside.

Teamwork to stop threat.

Idealism vs Realism

First Great Debate

Seite 6

Constructivism

Basic Ideas:

History of Constructivism:

Theorists:

Types:

Seite 7

Marxism

Basic Ideas:

History of Marxism:

Theorists:

Types:

Post-Colonialism

Basic Ideas:

History of Colonialism:

Theorists:

Types: