Lecture 2 Flashcards
Liberalism
- became popular during the Cold war, because realism had been severely challenged. Realists had not predicted the collapse of the Soviet Union, because realists do not consider domestic factors, they only consider international systems
- liberalism believes in progress, meaning realism sees international politics as constant, and liberalism believes that the international system can progressively change
Morgenthau
- argues that states go into war because ppl are greedy, and like to dominate.
What are the elements of national powers?
- geography
- natural resources
- industrial capacity
- military preparedness
- population
- national character
- national morale
quality of diplomacy - quality of government
What are the three divisions of Realism?
- neorealism, a very material, empirically based theory
- neoclassical realism
- classical realism
Constructivism
- Balance of power does not exist objectively, states debate what it is. brute facts exist regardless of whether or not humans acknowledge their existence. Social facts are dependent on human agreement.
- ideas can change the world
- the end of the Cold War made constructivism popular because realists do not look at ideology, and constructivists do
Critical Theory
- post positivist
- called critical because they are critical of the status quo, wanting to change the status quo. Unhappy with the way things are, looking fr change
Wendt’s Constructivism
- accepts many realist assumptions. State centric theory, focusing on national interests, accepts the international realsm as a condition of anarchy.
- differs from mainstream IR in that he sees the international structure as a construction of ideas.
- anarchy is what states make of it. War and hostility are therefore not inevitable, a result of their own practices
What are the three Anarchic structures identified by Wendt?
- Hobbesian
- Lockean
- Kantian
Hobbesian Structure
the Other is seen as an enemy who does not recognize the Self’s right of existence and therefore will not limit its violence against it
Side effect: constant state of war
Lockean Structure
It is expected that sovereignty and the right to life and liberty is recognized. Limited violence is still used to settle disputes
Side affects: states have a status quo attitude towards the sovereignty of others, more security than Hobbesian state, military power is less of a priority, standards and limits to war making. Limited war, low death rates of states
Kantian Structure
Friendship model. Disputes are not settled by war or threat of war. They will fight as a team of the security of one is threatened.
Side effects: military capabilities do not affect outcomes and as such become irrelevant. The possibility of a decentralized authority, which undermines the anarchic state of affairs based on its tradition definition
Micheal Hunt
explains US foreign policy by arguing that it is affected by American national ideology, racial superiority attitudes, negative attitudes towards revolutions
Michael Hunt Pillars
- national greatness
- territorial expansion
- anglo saxon racial superiority
- exportation of liberal political values
- negative attitudes towards revolutions
Advantages of Constructivism
- recognizes issues that were previously disregarded (Race, gender, religion)
- difference between states, behaving differently towards different states
- brought culture and domestic politics into IR theory
- research strategy is flexible
Criticisms of Constructivism
- uncertainty
- difficulty understanding the motives of other countries
- does not explain war very well
