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15 Cards in this Set
- Front
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Classical Realism |
- Thucydides,Machiavelli, and Hobbes pessimisticview on human nature ○ Security dilemma: People wantmore, get stronger, which makes other people feel threatened, which makes themwant more and get stronger → arms races. ○ Morality largely insignificant - diplomacy tool forpower implementation ○ State security and state survivalis viewed of the utmost importance, sceptic of the possibility of creatingprogress → politics itself is a struggle for power. |
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Neo classical realism |
Combination ofClassical Realism (nature of individual states) and Neorealism (structuralideas), drawing upon Waltz, Morgenthau, and Kissinger in particular - Supports neorealistconcept of balance of power. - ● Appropriate balancing is when a state correctlyassesses another state’s intentions and balances accordingly ● Overbalancing occurs when a stateincorrectly assess another state as threatening, and uses too many resources inorder to balance → imbalance ● Underbalancing occurs when a state incorrectly assess another stateas threatening, and fails to balance to the threat → imbalance.● Nonbalancing occurs when a state avoids balancingthrough bandwagoning, buck passing or other escapes. |
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Neo Realism |
Kenneth Waltz - Theory of International Politics John Mearsheimer - The Tragedy of Great Power Politics Stephen Walt - Wrote about theBalance of threat - states balance when feeling threaten |
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Liberalism |
Liberalism is an optimistic theory aimed at devising ways ofovercoming international obstacles. It is inspired by the enlightenment periodand their view of (believe in!) human nature as being based on reason.Continued progression! |
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Neoliberalism |
Grant, R. & Keohane, R Ikenberry, G. ● States concerned with absolute rather than relativegains. ○ Not everything is power-politics. ○ More pessimistic than utopian lib, but more optimisticthan realism. ● Game theory is used to explain why states do or do notcooperate. ○ Based on positivistic epistemology ● Concerned with how to reduce risk of conflict in theanarchical system ○ Can be done through institutions and cooperation. ● Neoliberalism is more complex than the simpleneorealism ○ It accepts the basic premise of neorealism but arguesthat there are important exceptions and nuances. ● Game theory ○ The decision today is notunrelated to advantages in the future → Maximizing power and advantages bothtoday and in the future ○ Mutual cooperation can thus be a rational response ○ in general cooperative strategies fair better |
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English School |
Bull Clark Wight ● Established by old white englishmen, on Cambridge,Oxford etc. concerned with the fall of the British empire post WWII. ● Int. theory is both about what is but also what ought to be →normative element of ES. ● Regards IR as asociety of states where the main actors are states people trained instatecraft. ○ A system of states, however, forms when two or morestates has enough contact between them to make their behaviour co-dependent. ○ Main point of int. society is to promote and preserveinternational order, here the GP’s are responsible. ○ Statespeople are responsible nationally,internationally, and humanitarian. ● IR is a perpetual dialogue between realism,rationalism, and revolutionism. ○ Realism: Anarchy and power politics ○ Rationalism: Society and international laws ○ Revolutionism: Humanitarianism, human rights, andjustice. |
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Constructivism |
Tannenwald Wendt philpott ● mostprominent IP school today, which has been a great change over the last 20-25yearsScientists were told neorealism or neoliberalismand the positivist method, but rebelled against it. |
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Critical perspectives |
Marxist feminists and gender perspectives |
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Small state theory |
● Considered one of the most important together withtheory, security, and international organisation. ● It has two core approaches 1. The Traditional Approach :Very similar to diplomatichistory, wanting to know a states history including: a. It’s origin as a nation state, with emphasis on thenation bit. b. Its traditional friends and enemies, which sayssomething about how it normally orients itself, and where its focuses lie. c. Its system of government, and particularly theorganisations in charge of foreign policy (eg. foreign ministry, defenceministry, president’s office, or other agencies). d. Its great leaders (former heads of state), who havepaved the foundation of the state’s foreign policy e. Its traditional foreign policy priorities, perhaps bestsummed up in the vague concept of the “national interest”, which we touchedupon in the constructivist lecture. f. In other words,the traditional approach seeks explanation in history, seeking continuation ofeither the pursuit of interests. cooperation with specific partners, or adistinctive way of dealing with its international relations. 2. The Bureaucratic structures and processes approach. a. Three models for thinking about the conduct of foreignpolicy. The bureaucracy as a unified rational actor, usingrational choice theory to analyse means and ends. Organisational processes model (standard operatingprocedures), based on Weber (div. of labour in bureay, optimising policyoutcomes). Bureaucratic politics model, where different agenciescompete for sectional interests and funding. 1. The power of individual leaders in the bureaucracy -consensus must be made by leaders since other leaders might capitalise a baddecision - must therefore also sometimes take actions despised by others. |
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Realism authors |
Realism - EH Carr, Morgenthau; also the old guys (philosophical foundation): Machiavelli, Hobbes, Thucydides neo realism -Waltz (defensive realism - states seek stability); Mearsheimer (offensive realism - states seek power maximisation) |
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Thucydides |
Classical realist – Greek historian He saw an un-going and constant competition andconflict between the Greek city-states (composed the cultural-linguisticcivilization: Hellas). Great power and less great powers existed – Athens,Sparta and the Persian Empire à inequalityof power was perceived as being natural and expected Aristotle said: “man is a political animal”. Thucydides said that political animals are highly unequal in their powersand capabilities to dominate others and to defend themselves. à States has to adapt to thegiven reality of unequal power – and conduct themselves accordingly à in doing so, statessurvive, if they fail to do, they will be destroyed. Caution, prudence and judgment are the characteristicpolitical ethics of classical realism. Thucydides emphasizes on the importance ofjustice relative to International Relations. Justice is about = recognizing astate’s relative strength of weakness; and about adapting to the naturalreality of unequal power [justicedepends on equality of power] |
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Niccoló Machiavelli |
classical realist – the Renaissance Italian political theorist The power (lion) and the deception (the Fox) are thetwo essential means for the conduct of foreign policy. Supreme political value = national freedom, i.e. independence. Main responsibility of the ruler: to seek advantages andto defend the interests of their state and ensure its survival. This requiresthat a state has to be strong = being a lion (the power). But alsorequires cunning (becoming the fox =deception) – the pursuit of self-interest.The ruler should both be the lion and the fox à because their people depend upon them fortheir survival and prosperity – the people depends on their ruler, morespecifically on the ruler’s wisdom of foreign policy – owing the fact that thepeople’s fate is entwined with the ruler’s fate (normative heart). TheMachiavellian assumption is that the world is a dangerous place (J & S, 2013:69). The ruler has to beaware of dangers. Realist statecraft: “Be aware of what ishappening. Do not wait for things to happen. Anticipate the motives and actionsof others. Do not wait for others to act. Act before they do”. à Moral maxims: political irresponsibility = if the political leadersact in accordance to the Christian virtues – they will lose everything. If aruler does not know or respect the maxims of power politics, her/his statecraftwill fail and with it the security and welfare of the citizens who depend on it[therefore dangerous to not respect the moral maxims] |
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Thomas Hobbes – |
classical realist 17th century English political and legal philosopher ‘Stateof nature’: is the pre-civil condition. He argues that in order tounderstand the political life we have to imagine women and men living in a‘natural’ condition within a framework of sovereign state. The essence: that every man is endangered by everybodyelse – life is constantly at risk, no one can be sure of his/her survival andsecurity – people are living in constant fear of each other. But according to Hobbes, it is possible for people toescape from the state of nature via the creation and maintenance of a sovereignstate. Cooperation is the keyword:by cooperating politically with others – forming a security pact can guaranteeeach other’s safety. People are “civilizedby fear of death”. Mutual fear and insecurity drive them away from theirnatural condition: the war of all against all [thereby changing the state ofnature] – they want to establish a sovereignstate – driven by their emotions, and not by their intelligence. In other words, a sovereign state makes it possiblefor people to escape from fearful states. In the Civilcondition where peace and order occur, under the protection of the state,men and women hold the opportunity become more safe; not living under constantfear and threat àleads to security, peace = now they are free to flourish. Politicalproblem:Presents the notion that a peaceful and civilized lifecan only exist within a state; not outside the state etc. Securitydilemma in world politics: is the act of instituting a sovereign state toescape from the fearful state of nature among individual people that createdanother state of nature between states. à Thesecurity dilemma: is the achievement of personalsecurity and domestic securitythrough the foundation of a state is necessarily accompanied by the condition of national and internationalinsecurity that is rooted in the anarchic state system. Internationalstate of nature: Concerns the idea that permanent peace isunachievable, since it presents a condition potential to war – peace notguaranteed between sovereigns states – no international peace, only domesticpeace is achievable. |
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Morgenthau |
Classical realist Humanbeings crave power à born to pursue power and to enjoy fruits of power.Animus dominandi = isthe human lust for power. The action of pursuing power, is a matter of securingpolitical space – i.e. territory – to maintain oneself and to enjoy oneselffree from the political dictates of others. Regarding the security question,security beyond the state and between the states = remarkably achievable. The animus dominandi = brings men and women inconstant conflict, which creates a condition of power politics. Politics isunchangeable because human nature is unchangeable à self-centered, self-regardingand self-interested = politics is not a question of morality. ‘Willto power’ He sees men and women as having a ‘will to power’ à this is specificallyevident in international politics: Politics is a struggle for power. Realistsview politics as a tool to seek power. Politics is a struggle for power overmen, and whatever its ultimate aim may be power is its immediate goal and the modesof acquiring, maintaining and demonstrating it determine the technique ofpolitical action. People have to defend their interests à the anarchical system ofstates invites for international conflict – taken form as a war. Statecraft– the action of the stateHe perceives the action of states – not as an actdetermined by moral principles, stating: “The actions of states aredetermined not by moral principles and legal commitments but by considerationsof interest and power” (Morgenthau) Normative doctrine of classical realism = there isone morality for the private and public sphere à his view on statecraft = a mix of both publicand private political ethics. In order to achieve effective and responsible statecraft, is to recognize the fact ofpower politics and learn to make the best of it. Morgenthau (from Plato) spoke about ‘noble lie’ à rulers have to lie and makeuse of dishonesty for the good of their subjects, thus creates moral dilemmas. In foreign affairs, the rulers should therefore beaware that the exercise of political power involves moral dilemmas and evil actions. “Sometimes evilactions must be taken to prevent a greater evil” (p. 73). 6principles of political realism: 1.Politics is governed by objective laws; IR theory is a rational theory thatreflects these laws 2.Politics is an autonomous (independent) sphere, independent of economics andpersonal morality3.International politics = about national interests à these interests reflect thepolitical and cultural context within foreignpolicy is formulated.4. Thepolitical ethics is different from the universal moral principles5.Particular nations cannot impose their national aspirations on other nations6. Pessimistic knowledge of human nature is in thecenter of international politics: Men and women are by nature animals – born topursue power. |
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Mearsheimer |
Neo realism presents the notion of balance of power, which implies a recurring phenomenon rather than a non-constant (short) condition. 1) He defines power in terms of military power, which plays a major role in the action and realization of power. The nuclear weapons change the relation between economic capability and military power à lacking economic capabilities makes it easy to compete military if it adopts policy and a deterrent strategy. |
