Idealism

Introduction:
 It is old systematic phenomenon
 It was implemented in Greek by Plato and Augustine when Greek has 159 states
 It relates to peace and morality(state welfare)
 It is concept that we can make world a better place
 Main thing is your construction of mind. Everyone has different ideas, opinions, thinking patterns
“material things are imaginary , they are not real but only it is construction of your mind”
Development:
 Plato says to held critical discussion through:
 World of idea
 World of better
 Plato says “people do not create knowledge” our main focus is to attain knowledge to check
causes and aspects
 Idealism is largely influenced by religion so they said God is a universal good
 Augustine says :
 Concept of good: God
 Concept of evil: Adam
 Men have different faith
 Augustine believes that our senses are unreliable
 Our belief in God is our faith. All individuals sees things differently .we don’t check practically
that what is God or without any comparative analysis we just have firm faith in God
 God already created knowledge and individuals explore it through efforts
 Knowledge comes from God while learning comes itself from individuals, learning varies within
individuals called “intuitive knowledge”
 George Berkeley says all existence comes from mind to know it”. Material world exist
independent of mind. Idealism’s theorist says that everything is mind
 Immanuel Kant focuses on rationality
 Idealism focus on mind, ideas, senses, knowledge; but not on new knowledge…just on exploring
knowledge
Followers:
 Mahatma Gandhi  E.H.Carr
 Woodrow Wilson  Hyde
 Bertrant Russell  Quincy Wright
Characteristics
1) Man is good y nature: Situation or environment makes man selfish , by-birth everyone is good
2) Opposition of war: non-violence , only peace in country
3) Power is not central position in world politics: power is not everything
4) Value-based approach: law is based on rules and regulations that are enforced in country and if
you’ll violate it then you will get punish. Moralities or values of our society.I.e: respect your
parents, if we don’t then we’ll not get any punishment
5) Faith in international organization: There should be international organization to settle
conflicts of state. Some are international and some are regional base .1 st international organization
was established by Woodrow Wilson after WW2 Second organization was UN.
6) Reject the theory of totalitarianism: you want to enhance your territory but idealism theory
reject it because it is against the law
7) Supporter of establishment of world state: world is a Global village. 1945-1990 world was
divided into two parts(Bipolar) but after 1990 it become unipolar and they change the world into
global village
8) Emphasis on education, reasons of science: critically analyze , observe and get modern
education

Assumption:
1) Basic feeling of individuals to help others makes development possible
2) Bad human behavior is the product of bad environment and bad institutions which encourage an
individual to do bad things
3) War represent the worst features of international relations(avoided through peaceful and amicable
means )
4) War is an international problem and not only national but global effects are needed to end it
5) International community needed to be restructured to eliminate institutions which promote wars
6) Wars are not inevitable and the international arrangements which promote wars can be eliminated
7) International institutions which are committed to preserve international peace, international order,
international law should be developed for promoting peace , prosperity, and development as well
as eliminating war, hunger , devastation, from international lives
Suggestions for solving international problems:
1) Establishment of supra national institution: there should be some instruction on state to
manage them. Sovereign institution for handling conflicts and betterment of country
2) Legal control of war: war start from one country and then whole world face its consequences. So
through amicable means try to solve problems
3) Establishment of world federation: small sates become united and make a one state (federation)
like USA. If all states become united and made federation than they will avoided wars
4) Elimination of weapons: deweaponization to avoid wars and for society’s peace. Emphasis on
moral values. Karla Max says that all conflicts were based upon some economic factors in the
country
5) Construct international monetary system: to minimize economic causes, that leads toward
conflicts
Criticism:
1) It totally base upon imagination. Have no link with reality
2) Difficult to implement their suggestions
3) International laws are not obligatory( to obey law or not is will of the state, state obey law only
for goodwill)
4) International organization are not good they are lacking power
5) Over faith on the nature of individuals
6) Establishment of world federation is only a dream. No state is willing to eliminate their identity
7) Morality and international politics cannot go together. Moralities deals with other interests and
politics deals with national interest
8) This approach totally ignore power
9) It give extra importance to national organizations