Theories in International Relations

REALISM
Aim/contribution Key assumptions Key themes Key concepts Silences& limitations Seminal Works

In the context of The realm of IR is Study of IR is the study Security limited attention to EH Carr,
the 30s, to governed by objective laws of the interaction Sovereignty the role of non- The Twenty
response to the which is rooted in human between sovereign National state actors Years Crisis
perceived nature states interests (1939)
delusions of Power little or no
idealism The pursuit of power by The self-interested politics consideration to Hans
individuals and states is behavior of states in economic Morgenthau,
To be sanguine ubiquitous and unavoidable the absence of any processes Politics Among
and realistic about --- thus, conflict and overarching authority Nations (1948)
the frailty of human competition is endemic on a global scale relies on an
nature and to trace produces a condition of impoverished
the implications for The state is sovereign and anarchy conception of
the conduct of IR the natural unit of analysis human nature and
in IR since states recognize In so far as conflict is implausible
To render IR a no authority above avoided, this is not assumptions
rigorous and themselves and are because of the pacific
dispassionate autonomous of non-state intentions of states but narrowly state-
science of world actors and structures precisely because of centric
politics the balance produced
States are unified actors, by the aggressive less an accurate
Intellectual motivated exclusively by pursuit of power and theory of world
Forebears considerations of national security by states politics that the
Thucydides interest image in and
Hobbes It is nave to assume through which
Machiavelli National interests are that cooperation rather world politics was
objective than conflict is the made --- hence,
natural condition of nothing but a
The principal national world politics rationalization of
interests are CW politics
survival/security The evolution of world (Hoffman, 1977)
politics is cyclical,
There is total separation of characterized by
domestic and international timeless laws rooted in
politics with the former human nature
subordinated to the latter

Aim/contribution Key assumptions
To produce a more World politics can be
systematic, rigorous analyzed if states were
and structural unitary rational actors
account of IR in the seeking to maximize their
realist tradition expected utility
To liberate realism The context in which states
from essentialist find themselves --- a
and universal condition of anarchy ---
assumptions of determines the content of
human nature the rationality they exhibit
To provide a The behavior of states can
deductive science be explained exclusively in
of world politics on terms of the structure of the
the basis of international system itself,
parsimonious since states are rational and
assumptions about in any given setting there is
the international only one optimal course of
system action open to them
The state is again sovereign
Intellectual Forebears and the natural unit of
Same as realists analysis in IR
However, the role of
international institutions in
the governance of IR cannot
be overlooked
States are, again, unified
actors, motivated solely by
considerations of national
interests
States seek relative rather
than absolute gains
NEO-REALISM
Key themes Key concepts Silences& limitations Seminal Works
The anarchical structure Balance of lacks clarity about Charles
of the international power the conditions of Kindleberger,
system compels states cooperation and The World in
to act as they do: Relative (as conflict in the Depression 1929-
ordering principle; opposed to international system 1939 (1973)
identical character of absolute)
units in the system; gains incapable of either Kenneth Waltz,
differences in capabilities predicting or Theory of
Accordingly, conflict is a Hegemonic explaining the end of International
consequence not of stability the CW despite its Politics (1979)
state belligerence but of focus on BOP within
the pursuit of national the international Robert Gilpin,
interest under conditions system War and Change
of anarchy in World Politics
Though states are state-centric (1981)
inherently conflictual and
JL Mearsheimer,
competitive, actual displays very limited
conflict can be averted in Back to the
and impoverished
situations in which there Future: Instability
notion of state
is a balance of power in Europe after
agency
the Cold War
Though there is always a
(1990)
tendency to instability in relies on a series of
the international system, implausible
this can be attenuated if assumptions about
a dominant state the unity and
assumed a leadership rationality of the
(or hegemonic) role state
Under such conditions of
hegemonic stability
international institutions
can serve to provide a
secure basis for
cooperation between
nations, such as is
evidenced in the
international economic
system which developed
in the post-war period
 LIBERALISM
Aim/contribution Key assumptions Key themes Key concepts Silences& limitations Seminal Works

To provide a more Liberal internationalism: War is the cancer of the HR Doyle,

positive (though internal effecting external body politics and can Free Liberalism in
contrasting) view only be cured by markets World Politics
of human nature: Liberalism institutionalism: democracy and free Cooperation (1986)
external affecting internal trade
ethical view: man where states are drawn to Mueller, Retreat
as enjoyer & think in rational terms Comparative from Doomsday
exerter of his because institutions advantage (1989)
uniquely human impinge them to do so
attributes or Democratic peace Giddens, The
capacities (liberal Nation-State and
democracy & HR) Obsolescence of war Violence (1985)
Rawls, The Law
market view: of Peoples
individualist (1991)
concept of mas as
essentially
consumer of
utilities, an infinite
desirer and infinite
appropriator
(liberal capitalism
& free markets)

Intellectual Forebears
Kant
Grotius
 NEO-LIBERALISM
Aim/contribution Key assumptions Key themes Silences& limitations Seminal Works

To counter the individuals and states, an advanced international division of labor Lack clarity about Robert Keohane
state-centrism of though rational, have the within the world economy encourages conditions under and Joseph Nye,
realism and neo- capacity to solve problems relations of interdependence and which we should Power and
realism and to re- through collective action cooperation between nations which are expect cooperation Interdependence
insert economic mutually advantageous and conflict (1977)
dynamics in IR international cooperation for
mutual advantage is both the condition of complex interdependence For realist and neo- James Rosenau,
To explore the desirable and possible which characterizes the international system realists, liberalism Turbulence in
possibilities for renders national economies ever more and neo-liberalism World Politics
cooperation within actors other than states play sensitive and vulnerable to events in other adopt a nave and (1990)
the international a central role in international countries utopian conception
system events of both human Joseph Nye,
this entails a significant loss of state nature and Understanding
To explore the possibilities for International
states cannot be capacity an autonomy
implications of a international Conflicts (1993)
conceptualized as unified
more flexible and actors but are themselves there is complex relationship between cooperation
positive view of multi-centric and subject to a domestic and international politics with no
human nature variety of competing clear or consistent hierarchy Tend to exaggerate
domestic and international the role of
pressures international institutions and organizations, international
KEY CONCEPTS though in some sense themselves the institutions, the
power within the product of state action, may come to extent of
interdependence/ international system is assume an independent identity and display globalization and the
complex diffused and fluid agency in their own right; institutions may limited capacity of
interdependence assume the role of encouraging cooperative the state
absolute (as liberal democratic states do habits, monitoring compliance and
opposed to relative) not wage war upon one sanctioning defectors Tends to legitimate
gains another (the doctrine of the status quo
cooperation democratic peace) rational calculations (rational choice and
international game theoretics) where cooperation can The empirical
regimes military force is by no means occur without a hegemon evidence does not
trading state rather the only, or the most seem to confirm the
than military state effective, instrument of neoliberalism as economic liberalism on a democratic peace
(Rosecrance) foreign policy global scale; favors free play of market thesis --- democratic
forces, minimal role of the state in economic states can be quite
states seek absolute rather life, roll back welfare state belligerent
Intellectual Forebears than relative gains
same as liberals challenge to comparative advantage:
internationalization of production, mobility of
capital and dominance of TNCs
 MARXISM
Aim/contribution Key assumptions Key themes Key concepts Silences& limitations Seminal Works

To provide a Through revolutionary The logic of class Underestimated the V. Lenin,

second image of action, the international expansionism: to struggle impact of nationalism, Imperialism: The
IR which believed proletariat would embed conquer the whole the state and war, BOP, Highest Stage of
that the rise of the Enlightenment ideals earth for its markets national IL and diplomacy on Capitalism
socialist as of liberty, equality and bourgeoisie the structure of world (1972)
opposed to fraternity in an entirely new International that politics
capitalist regimes kind of world order which sentiments are largely controlled the Antonio Gramsci,
would end conflict would free all human normative or a various Notes from
between states beings from exploitation visionary project that is systems of Prison
(Linklater) and domination based on actual government Notebooks
observations of
To study global Combination of a powerful domestic reality cosmopolitan F. Halliday,
inequality with an analysis of the whole proletariat Rethinking IR,
emphasis on the development of human Study of imperialism as 1994
internationalization history with a detailed a critique of the liberal emancipatory
of relations of study of the evolution of proposition that late intent of J. Maclean,
production and on capitalism and the capitalism was international Marxism and IR:
the forms of global prospects for universal committed to free trade political A Strange Case
governance which emancipation internationalism which economy of Mutual
perpetuate would lead to peace Neglect (1988)
inequalities of between nations
power and wealth J. Derrida,
Fate of capitalism is to Spectres of
Ushered in neo- experience frequent Marx: The State
Marxism (via crisis of Debt, the
dependency Work of
theory and WST) Mourning and
as well as critical the New
theory, Gramscian International
and neo- (1994)
Granscian thinking

Intellectual Forebears
Marx
Engels
 Alternative Theories in International Relations
Rational (English School of IR)
Aim/contribution Key assumptions
To occupy a middle domestic politics as the
ground between sphere of the good life and
realism and international politics as the
idealism real of security and survival
(Wight)
To view
international The world is composed of
politics as a several political
society of states organizations: state-
systems, empires, society
To advance the states
idea of IR as a
game that is partly the international system is
distributive and not a state of war
partly productive
the international state
To argue for the system becomes
multidimensionality international societies
of international because members develop
society that can common culture and
find some common mutual interests
ground between
radically different the key parameter would
and mutually be the common culture
suspicious states among states in the system
as maintained by
diplomacy, international
law, institutions and
commerce
Key themes Key concepts Silences& limitations Seminal Works
The primary actors in state system Seen as the British Martin Wight,
the international system (conflict) variant of realism Why there is no
are sovereign states International
--- city states or nation international Offers an apology for a Theory (1966)
states society society of states which
In IR, there is a system safeguards the Hedley Bull, The
of states whenever 2 or world society privileges of leading Anarchical
more states have (where people powers Society: A Study
sufficient contact are bound by of Order in World
between them and ideas, Politics (1984)
have sufficient impact ideologies and
of each others interests Intellectual Forebears Adam Watson,
decisions Hedley Bull,
There is anarchy in the Grotius (solidarism; State Systems
distinction between just and International
international system,
and unjust wars) Societies (1987)
meaning there is no
common government
Vattel (pluralism; states
States in the
do not exhibit solidarity
international system
but are capable of
exist in an international
agreeing for minimum
society in which they
puposes
recognize the common
interest and common
values forming a
society in a sense that
they conceive
themselves to be
bound by a common
set of rules governing
relations with one
another and share in
the workings of the
common institutions
 Alternative Theories in International Relations

Critical Theory
Aim/contribution Key assumptions Key themes Key concepts Silences Seminal Works

To draw attention the purpose of being critical is Society itself as its critique of Robert Cox,
to the relationship to improve human existence object of analysis particularism - Social Forces,
of knowledge and there is a need to react to and social States and World
society dogmatism Reflection on theory exclusion Orders: Beyond IR
informed by the traditions of (self-reflexivity) Theory (1981)
To recognize hermeneutic and sociological
theories as always ideologiekritik Epistemological dimensions of Karin Fierke,
embedded in states, social Changing Games,
theory as an emancipatory questions regarding
social and political the justification and forces and Changing
project
life verification of changing world Strategies: Critical
must critique dogmatism of orders Investigations of
traditional modes of knowledge claims,
To take society as the methodology Security (1998)
theorizing discourse
the object of starts from the conviction that applied, the scope
analysis and purpose of ethics Stephen Gill,
cognitive processes Gramsci, Historical
themselves are subject to inquiry, and ontology
Materialism and IR
To recognize the political interests and ought to questions regarding
the nature of the (1993)
political nature of be critically evaluated
social actors and IntellectualForebears
knowledge claims rules out the possibility of
other historical Kimberly
and thus need to objective knowledge and in
formations and Frankfurt school: Hutchings,
reflect on theory its place is the promotion of
structures in IR - Adorno International
itself theoretical reflexivity - Marcuse Political Theory:
the task of the political - Lowenthal Rethinking Ethics
Knowledge - Habermas in a Global Era
theorist is to explain and
(theory) is always criticize the present political - Horkheimer (1999)
for someone and order in terms of the
for some purpose principles presupposed by Mark Neufeld,
(Cox) and embedded in its own Thinking Ethically
political, legal and cultural --- Thinking
To radically rethink practices and institutions; Critically (2000)
about the immanent critique or critical
normative engagement with the Richard Shapcott,
foundations of background of normative Beyond the
global politics assumptions that structure Cosmopolitan/
our ethical judgments Communitarian
(Linklater) Divide (2000)
 Alternative Theories in International Relations

Constructivism
Aim/contribution Key assumptions Key themes Key concepts Silences Seminal Works

reinvigorated our beliefs play a crucial Anarchy is what states social unified more by Friedrich
normative theorizing role in the construction of make of it (Wendt) the construction what they Kratochwil, Rules,
in IR our reality structure of the intersubjectivi distance Norms and
international system ty themselves from Decisions (1989)
To open up a middle the social and political does not dictate state identity than by what they
way (Adler) between world is not a given but behavior; it is the share Nicholas Onuf, A
rationalism (rational an inherently interaction and World of Our
choice theory) and intersubjective domain --- intersubjective for rationalists, Making (1989)
postmodernism a product of social understandings of states much of what they
construction which gives rise to the claim theoretically, Alexander Wendt,
To explore the condition of anarchy though plausible, Social Theory of
implications of there is no objective assesses the remains either International
acknowledging that social or political reality transformative impact of untestable to Politics (1999)
potential realities are independent of our novel social untested
socially constructed understanding of it --- constructions (i.e. EU)
and of according there is no social realm on the state system may be seeking to
ideas an independent of human emphasizes the reconcile the
activity importance of national irreconcilable ---
independent role in
norms on international the choice
the analysis of IR
ideational factors may be politics and international between
To explore the accorded as significant norms on national rationalism and
role in IR as material politics postmodernism
implications of
replacing factors emphasizes the may be starker;
importance of discursive no middle ground
rationalisms logic of
for most constructivist, construction and naming as proponents
instrumental
positivism cannot be in the identification and eventually
rationality with a
reconciled with an response to security gravitate to poles
more sociological
conception of emphasis upon the threats --- threats are
agency significance of perceptions rather than despite theoretical
intersubjective realities that are appeal, its
To explore the understanding responded to promise is still
implications of unrealized
treating interests and
preferences as
social constructions
rather than as
objectively given
 Alternative Theories in International Relations

Postmodernism
Aim/contribution Key assumptions Key themes Key concepts Silences& limitations Seminal Works

To cast on genealogical approach: the identification and power and tendency towards RK Ashley, Living
modernist knowledge is situated at a exploration of the way knowledge in nihilism, fatalism on the
assumptions about particular time; as a power operates in the IR and passivity --- an Borderlines: Man,
the ability to consequence of discourses and abstention from Poststructuralism
generate objective heterogeneity of possible practices of world incredulity judgement and War (1989)
knowledge of social contexts and position, there politics towards meta-
and political world can be no single truth --- narratives is not David Campbell,
only competing the celebration of postmodernisms Writing Security
To draw attention to perspectives (1992)
difference, diversity and deconstruction normative respect
the conceptual plurality for difference in the
prisms in and there is no neutral vantage end self-defeating RJ Walker,
difference/ Inside/Outside
through which point from which the world a challenge to the notion otherness --- precluding the
supposedly can be described and taking of action to (1993)
of history as progress
dispassionate and analyzed objectively protect that
problematizing Cynthia Weber,
neutral theories are the attempt to establish difference?
the sovereign Simulating
formulated all knowledge is partial, universal conditions for state: Sovereignty
partisan and power-serving human emancipation Are its implications
violence, (1995)
To expose the can only serve, in profoundly
boundaries,
silences, implicit knowledge claims are never practice, to replace one identity, conservative ---
assumptions and neutral with respect to set of relations of statecraft deconstruction
universal power relations which are, domination with another without the
pretensions of such as a consequence, --- there is no escape possibility of the
beyond
theories and to ubiquitous and diffuse from tyranny reconstruction of al
reveal the power sovereignty: alternative?
relations in whose problematizing
there are no facts about the the universal the political
reproduction they social and political world, pretensions of general Internal
are complicit only interpretations theories and contradictions --- is
advanced from a particular emancipatory projects Intellectual not postmodernism
To explore the vantage point (metanarratives) is itself a
Forebears
implications of an mythical metanarrative to
Nietzche
IR which does not the social and political world end all
rely on universal Foucault metanarratives and
is characterized not by power relations often
claims, privileged sameness and identity but function through the hence a
access to by difference, diversity and construction, in contradiction in
knowledge or the otherness language, of hierarchical terms?
possibility of distinctions of Tends towards pure
liberation or identity/difference, descriptive narrative
emancipation from as opposed to
 power sameness/otherness political analysis

Alternative Theories in International Relations

Feminism
Aim/contribution Key assumptions Key themes Key concepts Silences& limitations Seminal
Works

To introduce Gender refers to the Exclusion of Gender as constitutive of Liberal feminism: unclear Betty Friedan,
gender as a assymetrical social womens lives and IR in dealing with the Feminine
relevant empirical constructs of experiences in IR abstract state or the Mystique
category and masculinity and Contesting the gendered actual state; failure to (1962)
theoretical tool for femininity as Women as a dimension of sovereignty, understand women in
analyzing global opposed ostensibly disadvantaged the state, rationality varying situations; Kate Millet,
power relations biological male- group on a world provided formal equality Sexual Politics
as well as a female differences and not substantive (1970)
scale Liberal feminism: reform;
normative equality of women with equality
standpoint from Contesting the Catherine
Focus on the men
which to privileging of the Radical feminism: MacKinnon,
gender dynamics Feminism,
construct masculine over the naturalizing patriarchy as
of capitalist Radical feminism: Marxism,
alternative world feminine expansion in the the single cause of
orders (True) patriarchy Method and
South: economic womens oppression and
the State
Gender is a globalization being Marxist feminism:
thus homogenizing the
Not just to add oppression; failed to see (1987)
relational concept accompanied by capitalism
women in the based on the worldwide the difference of non-
study of world white womens Zillah
analysis of expansion in the
politics but to Socialist feminism: experiences Eisenstein,
masculinity and use of female Developing a
contest the femininity, men as labor combines the dual system
of class and patriarchy as Theory of
exclusionary, well as women, by Marxist feminism:
state-centric and sources of oppression Capitalist
foregrounding the Gendered subsumed women in the Patriarchy and
positivist nature study of mane and construction of IOs category of class
of IR Postmodern/poststructural Socialist
masculinities in IR with initiatives to Feminism
mainstream feminism: deconstruction Postmodern/poststructural
and rejection of the state; (1979)
To deconstruct gender in global feminism: too focused on
and subvert governance the state as a discursive discourses and lacks
process Judith Allen,
realism as the institutions specificity; deconstructed Does
dominant power category of women Feminism
politics Need a Theory
explanation for of the State
post-war IR (1990)
To unmask the
gendered
dimension of
forms of
oppression
prevalent on
world politics