International Relations Theories - Essay Example

Introduction International relations is governed by various theories. The development of various international relations theories is useful in providing explanations concerning how states relate and behave within the international relations context. In addition theories of international relations have governed the social, political and economic ideologies adopted by states. This paper seeks to evaluate three theories that have been studies in the course, this include the critical theory, feminism and conservatism. The critical theory The critical theory can be described as an in-depth evaluation of contemporary social and political life. The theory does not only seek to analyze contemporary political and social life using one viewpoint but rather the theory subjects it’s evaluation to various domains of thinking. The emergence of the critical theory can be linked to the Frankfruit School. Some of the personality behind the development of critical school include; Jurgen Habermas, Herbert Marcuse and Max Horkhiemer. The origin of the critical school is centrally linked to the Marxism theory. When looking at the link between the critical theory and the Marxism theory, what is evident is that the critical theory of international relations has resulted to the development of the post-Marxist theory. According to the critical theory, states in the international relations framework are divided into two classes which include powerful states and the weak states. Powerful states usually own a lot of resource and sometimes even exploit the weak states. Weak states on the other hand have a persistent desire to take over power from the powerful states. This therefore results to a state of constant rivalry among states Furthermore there is a constant struggle for power among states .This is characterized by the fact that Powerful states always want to maintain power, and weaker states always strive to gain power from the stronger states. This therefore makes international relations to be characterized by a state of anarchy as outlined by the realism theory. One of the major tenants of the critical theory is to provide an intense or an in-depth critique of contemporary social and political life. This implies that the modern society has to be critiqued as extensively or widely as possible. The level of investigation therefore does not only cover the social and political life in terms of their functions and structures, but rather in terms of the applicable ideologies adopted, legislations and processes. In the context of providing a critique of social life within the framework of international relations, the critical theory proposes that there should be an immanent critique of the society whereby the aim of an investigation is evaluated in addition the way the investigation is undertaken is also evaluated and why the evaluation is undertaken is also examined . Another tenant of the critical theory is the creation of a rational society. According to the critical theory rationality is an integral aspect of international relations. This is because when analyzing facts or issues, the subject and object can never be separated. As opposed to the traditional theory where the subject and object were two distinct element , the critical theory suggests that the subject and the object have to be linked in order to eliminate any sort of biases that may exist in knowledge. As a result knowledge in international relations should be attached to the values of the different actors in the international relations body. According to the critical theory, knowledge is an aspect that is socially created as opposed being an aspect that is independently produced. The critical theory also seeks to analyze the values that have been adopted by society. The values are not only examined from a current perspective but rather their historical background, in order to fully understand their foundation and application in the current society. In addition the critical theory questions the values that exist in society and whether the values are able to assist humans to attain their potential. Hebermas therefore proposes that ethical progress and social evolution through learning how to utilize universal moral principles can resolve the conflicts that exist in both the political and the social life. A major contribution of the critical theory to international relations is that theorists of international relations have used the theory to evaluate key issues in international relations. One of the key issues is the aspect of boundaries in international relations. The issue of boundaries is one dominant factor that has ignited war amongst states, as a result through the application of the critical theory, contentions that arise due to boundaries can easily be resolved. The critical theory has also influenced the generation of knowledge within the international relations framework. This has therefore resulted to a greater involvement of various communities in areas such as policy development and formulation of international laws. Feminism Feminism in the context of international relations can be traced to the emergence of the wider feminism theory. One of the central tenants of feminism in the context of international relations is the evaluation of the concept of gender. For instance a major question that arises is how gender contributes to international relations. In general gender is perceived as attributes that make a man and a woman different. The aspects that differentiate the male from the female therefore results to the formulation of gender roles in the society. Gender roles then define the different roles that are taken up by people of different genders within the international relations framework. For instance women have an attribute of minimal physical strength; as a result they are not usually involved in war. Feminists argue that women have been excluded in international relations due to male dominance. In real life, a culture that has been practiced for centuries is that woman are usually accorded minimal benefits when it comes to taking an active role in economic and political systems .This is because they are subjected to the idea of being part of the private sphere , the home and the family. Even within international relations, feminists argue that biases do exist whereby over the years only a few women have been involved in issues that deal with international relations. A major contributory factor is based on the fact that international relations has mainly been centered on the themes of conflict and war. This has therefore constrained the involvement of women in international relations. Empirical feminists however argue that despite of the exclusion of women, they can actually have an active role international relations for instance in policy making. Feminism in the context of international relations also identifies theoretical biases that exist in international relations. Most of the theoretical thoughts that are applied in international relations are usually from the male perspective. In many cases male theories have the natural inclination of directing their views towards the themes of conflict and war. This therefore explains the reason why most of the central issues that are discussed in international relations focus on conflict and ways in which states can strategically compete against each other in terms of war and resources. In addition the dominance of male ideologies in the theories that are used in international relations has resulted to a scenario whereby the issues that affect women have not been effectively addressed by many states. The contribution of feminism to international rations is that it provides an insight in examining the contribution of gender in international relations. In addition feminism acts as fundamental view point of increasing the involvement of women in international relations. Conservatism The theory of conservatism can be described as a theory that bridges the views of traditional theories and the critical theory. One of the tenants of the conservative theory is that traditional theories are still effective and can be applied in international relations. The conservative theory acknowledges the fact that although the critical theory does not support the tenants of the traditional theories, such as realism and liberalism, the traditional theories can also provide rational and positive viewpoints to international relations. For instance conservatism proposes that making decisions in the international context greatly requires rationalism. However it is essential to take note of the fact that the conservative theory does not contend the views of the critical theory. For instance it supports the application of knowledge in societal values as propagated by the critical theory. Another tenant of the conservative theory is that actors within the international relations framework act from within as opposed to acting from outside. This means that every actor has their own internal interests which make them act in a certain manner. In essence, the individual social interests of every actor, greatly influences how they act within the international context. Conservatism within international relations has also led to the rise of neo-conservatism in contemporary politics. The neo-conservatism view is grounded on the view that politics within the international relations framework should be governed by moral attributes. Neo Conservatisms therefore proposes that international relations should increase the level of global laws that are applicable to the actors. For instance an increase in the policies that govern war among states should be established in order to enhance peaceful international relations. Conservatism also backs the view of the critical theorists that knowledge should be applied in the context of international relations. Conservatism perceives knowledge as a crucial aspect in international relations based on the fact that it can assist in resolving disputes and also assist actors to examine the existing values in their societies. Conclusion Form the above discussion of the three theories of international relations, it can be concluded that feminism, conservatism and the critical theories, provide different view to international relations, however one common aspect is that the three theories acknowledge certain biasness’s that exist in international relations. For instance feminism acknowledges the biasness in the involvement of women in international relations. The critical theory on the other hand identifies biasness in knowledge .The conservative theory on the other hand works towards outlining the biasness that exist from the views of both the critical and the traditional theories. Read More