Realism and Liberalism as the 'Natural' Starting Points of Analysis Flashcards
What differences do Liberals and Realists have in their views on how to achieve security?
Liberals believe that security is best achieved through cooperation and alliance between states, whereas realists favour accruing more power and influence to secure one’s own state.
Explain Angell’s ideas on economic interdependence and what this was intended to achieve
Angell’s ‘The Great Illusion’ championed economic interdependence as a way to create peace and cooperation between states. Trade and economic links between states mean that they will not want to jeopardise this through war.
What perspective did EH Carr have on international law from his Realist viewpoint?
Carr believed that international law was the field of the haves, imposing this on the have nots.
What are the key focuses/values of Realism?
Realism focuses on power politics and the balance of power. It does not value morality, taking a negative view of human nature, believing states act in the interests of securing greater power.
How do Realists see that war can be controlled/limited?
Realists believe war can either be limited through the achieving of a balancing of power and the creation of an equilibrium. It can also be limited through prudence, whereby it is deemed that war would not be beneficial to achieving aims.
What are Morgenthau’s principles of political Realism?
1 - politics being governed by laws grounded in human nature
2 - politics based on power
3 - power takes many different forms
4 - states act based on the ‘moral principle of survival’
5 - morals not universal across states
6 - politics is self-governing
How does Neorealism attempt to better understand events than Realism does?
Neorealism focuses more so on contextual understandings than Realism does, believing this to be essential for a proper understanding that theoretical lenses cannot achieve.
What did Kenneth Waltz see the role of IR theories being? What were these not intended to do?
Waltz saw IR theory as intended to explain events, rather than to predict. They should take the world as it is and work with that, rather than predicting how the world could be.
What are the key assumptions of Neorealism about states?
Neorealism believes that all states are the same as units in the international system, yet that greater powers can exert more influence over the anarchic international system. States actions are uncertain but guided by rationality. THEY ACT IN ORDER TO SURVIVE.
What is democratic peace theory?
Democratic peace theory revolves around the idea that 2 democracies will not go to war with each other, hence the more democracies there are will mean a diminishing in the threat of war.
What is Neoliberalism based around?
Neoliberalism focuses on international organisations, cooperation, economic interdependence, democracy and democratic peace.
What 3 developments can be said to have led to the world becoming less anarchic in nature?
Interdependence - increases cost of war, reduces likelihood
Liberal institutionalism - provides more structure to international society, loose rules and laws constrain behaviour
Hegemony - previously US hegemony over intl order shapes its culture and values without conflict
How has the hegemony of the US collapsed somewhat to increase the extent to which the world is anarchic?
The US has become less hegemonic over global affairs since the height of this in the 1990s and 2000s, challenged by China and, to a lesser extent, Russia. That the US no longer dictates global affairs means that there is not a higher power overseeing and guiding events, contributing to a sense of anarchy.
What disagreements do Realists and Liberals have over the units of analysis in IR?
Realists see states as the only relevant and important unit of analysis in IR, believing these sovereign and independent bodies take most decisions. Liberals, however, see institutions as having their own power that is important to assess alongside that of states.
How can the values of Liberalism be seen as Neo-imperialist?
Liberal values of capitalism, institutionalism democracy are not accepted or adopted across cultures, particularly in the non-Western world. As such, these values being accepted by the dominant powers in IR has led to allegations of them being imposed across the world.
How can the ambitions and values of Liberalism be seen as ineffective?
Liberalism prides itself upon democracy leading to a reduction in conflict, yet prominent democracies still exist as warmongering states (see US and WoT). The liberal financial order further instils inequality internationally.
How can the ideas of Realism be seen to be ineffective or actively damaging?
Realism endorses imperialist logic, allowing states to invade and conquer in search of power. It also favours the status quo, allowing what currently occurs in the international system to continue.
Explain Angell’s, Bloch’s and Kelsen’s competing ideas within Liberalism on what would limit the possibility of war occurring?
Angell believed that economic development and integration would make war too EXPENSIVE and thus undesirable. Bloch believed that technological advancement would make war too DANGEROUS. Kelsen believed that intl. laws would make wars unlikely through the development of institutions and legal norms.
