Realism and Liberalism: A Prospectus of Two International Relations Paradigms - Term Paper Example

 Title: Realism and Liberalism: A Prospectus of Two International Relations Paradigms Understanding the realm of international relations inherently incorporates a variety of different theories. Over the decades, analysts and scholars have promoted many different theories as a means of explaining the global order and defining the means by which certain nation states, groups, or individuals behave in the way they do. Regardless of the litany and proliferation of these different theories, two distinct theories have continued to remain relevant and risen above many of these other theories; to a large part representing the major majority of the way in which individuals understand and define the global order. These two theories are necessarily that of realism and liberalism. In many ways, these two theories are quite the antithesis of one another; focusing on inherently opposite means of operation and promoting an inherently different view of the world. Nevertheless, seeking to understand and define both of these theories to a more effective and absolute degree is an essential element of determining which of these theories is the most relevant and how the student should come to engage the world and understand international relations. Likewise, as a function of these determinants, the following analysis will be concentric upon analyzing realism and liberalism; defining them, interpreting their causal effects, and seeking to analyze which of these is the better claimant for describing and defining the current world order as it exists. Delving directly into the discussion, realism is a theoretical approach to the global order that places power as the fundamental determinant of importance. Within such an understanding, the role that leaders, nation states, domination, and power politics play is viewed as ultimately the core reason and rationale for why decisions are made in the way that they are and who is impacted and how. This ultimately Hobbesian approach to the world is one that does not place any level of focus upon inherent cooperation or the role in which non-nation state actors might necessarily expect. As a direct result of this inherent flaw, the following ideology that will be to discussed, liberalism, came to be viewed as a valuable contribution to understanding international relief and one that potentially overcame the shortcomings and weaknesses that realism necessarily reflects (Hall, 2011). Coming into its own shortly after World War I, liberalism was of the understanding that the first world war, and likely many if not all wars prior to this whereas the direct result of power politics and the misunderstanding I which realist theory had been applied to global international relations. Recognizing this potential flaw, scholars and theorists promoted a paradigm and model of engaging with international relations that promoted trade and cooperation, competition, the formation of alliances, the importance of multinational and transnational groups, the relevance of individuals, and the role that capital flows play in the way that international relations is ultimately conducted. Naturally, none of these elements were strongly considered within the realist point of view; something that liberal theorists determined to be an inherent weakness that can no longer be overlooked (Hall, 2013). Furthermore, reviewing the case of World War I, the faulty alliance structure, distrust between neighbors, and the proliferation of rampant power politics is ultimately the contributing factor that liberal scholars viewed as contributing to this conflict. In light of this, a new paradigm should be put forward that does not place a fundamental level of importance on power politics and instead seeks to contribute a level of cooperation between nation states as a means of ultimately decreasing the likelihood that such a conflict would take place within the immediate future (Bew, 2004). The focus that liberalism plays on cooperation and engagement between nation states and multinational corporations and non state actors is ultimately part of what gave rise to the League of Nations and subsequently the United Nations after that. Recognizing the power and importance that supranational groups could have upon the overall exhibition of peace and cooperation within the world, liberal ideologists promoted a proliferation of international cooperation and engagement at each and every juncture; realizing that cooperation has been overall benefit as compared to non-cooperation and ultimately war (Salikov, 2013). Furthermore, liberal ideologists promoted the understanding that international relations need not be a zero-sum game. Essentially, scholars that it promoted realism and analyze it for many years were of the interpretation that each and every iteration of international relations with one in which either player one or player to triumphed. Instead, realists promoted the understanding that both player one and player two, or even player three, four, five etc., could benefit from each and every iteration of a cooperative agreement (Oguzlu, 2013). If one were to engage an understanding of which of these theories is the more effective in defining the global order, the answer to this question would of course be predicated upon what time period was being analyzed. In terms of the current time, it is broad understanding of this analyst that liberal theory is by far the more relevant and salient in defining the way in which international relations is carried out. A few of the reasons for this has to do with the broad success that multilateral coalitions such as the United Nations and others have had on the international system; promoting peace and encouraging engagement rather than resorting to power politics and war at each and every juncture. Furthermore, liberal theory specifically denotes that a higher percentage of overall democracies represented within the global international relations system will inherently lead to a further degree of peace ability (Stoddard, 2013). If the past 50 years have proven anything, is the fact that a higher level of overall democracies are currently represented within the world at a higher level of overall cooperation is also exhibited. Whereas it is true that there had the international conflicts that have resulted war, the latter half of the 20th century has been one of the most peaceful times in all of recorded human history. Furthermore, if one understands and relates the power of globalization and the means by which trade is impacted on the past several decades, liberal theory perfectly defines and describes how this process is taken place and the means by which liberalism has contributed to further prosperity and peace among peoples (Narine, 2004). When viewing the history of international relations over the past several centuries, it is inherently obvious that realism, and realist theory, has been the dominant trend in terms of defining the way in which actors relate with one another and the means by which peace and war have been determined. Likewise, the continual struggle of power politics and the desire of one nation to be dominant over another has effected a predictable result in terms of the overall exhibition of peace. Recognizing a new paradigm and promoting an enhanced level of cooperation and engagement between states, both politically and economically, has prompted a new era of international relations; one in which resorting to war and hard power as a means of accomplishing key tasks has come to be somewhat overlooked within the modern era. Whereas it is inherently true that there are still nations that operate under inherently realist doctrine of the global order, this particular framework of international relations is slowly fading and not as effective in defining the way in which the global order is established and operates. It is with this understanding in mind that this particular student denotes the fact that liberal ideology is the most effective tool that has thus far been utilized in terms of defining the international order and promoting enhanced level of peace throughout the world. Bibliography Bew, J 2014, 'The Real Origins of Realpolitik', National Interest, 130, pp. 40-52, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 4 November 2014. Hall, E 2014, 'Contingency, Confidence, and Liberalism in the Political Thought of Bernard Williams', Social Theory & Practice, 40, 4, pp. 545-569, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 4 November 2014. Hall, I 2011, 'The Triumph of Anti-liberalism? Reconciling Radicalism to Realism in International Relations Theory', Political Studies Review, 9, 1, pp. 42-52, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 4 November 2014. Narine, S 2004, 'A Constructivist Analysis of the East Asian International Political Economy: An Answer to the Realist-Liberal Debate', Conference Papers -- International Studies Association, pp. 1-21, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 4 November 2014. Oguzlu, T 2013, 'Realism versus Liberalism in Turkish Foreign Policy: What does the Arab Spring herald?', Middle Eastern Analysis / Ortadogu Analiz, 5, 56, pp. 39-51, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 4 November 2014. Salikov, A 2013, 'Kant and the contemporary theory of international relations. (English)', Vestnik IKBFU, 12, pp. 97-103, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 4 November 2014. Stoddard, E 2013, 'Reconsidering the ontological foundations of international energy affairs: realist geopolitics, market liberalism and a politico-economic alternative', European Security, 22, 4, pp. 437-463, Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 4 November 2014. Read More