TIR Essay 4 week 40 - RL Spaan

Study the texts by Fierke and Wendt. Wendt argues that self-help in anarchy is an institution, and self-
help as an institution can be changed. Explain (a) how he makes these claims, (b) why both of them
are necessary for the overall purpose of the article, and (c) why this relates to him being what Fierke
calls a “conventional constructivist”.

Constructivism builds upon the importance of social dimensions of international relations, an aspect
which both realism and liberalism do not place such attention on. The theory states that debates and
changes arise from the circumstances caused by history and culture. Studying international relations is
impossible without taking social dimensions into account, as the two cannot be separated from each
other. The two together result in processes of interaction in a meaningful world. The theory of
constructivism was a reaction to the fourth great debate. This great debate surrounded the discussion
on the difference between explaining, a focus on the natural sciences, and understanding, which takes
internal meanings into account on which actors act in reference to (Dunne et al., 2021).
Constructivism states that, although anarchy can possibly result in a self-help mentality for states, this
is not a fixed effect. It states that the self-help system is an effect of a social environment, which can
result from international interactions through history and culture. This is where constructivist theory
differs from realism and liberalism, as it states that the self-help system is not the only option states
can act upon in anarchy, and that the actors’ identity and interest-formation is taken into account
because they can be shaped by international institutions (Wendt, 1992).

Wendt goes against the neorealist notion that self-help is a given because of anarchy, independent of
processes. He states that the character of anarchy, such as being self-help, is shaped by international
processes, not because it is the world’s natural state in anarchy. Self-help is therefore defined as an
institution, which is also based on the first and third theme of constructivism: Self-help is an
institution, not an objective reality, because it was formed through historical and social context. In
addition, self-help was continuously developed through social interactions, caused by historical
processes over time, as a reaction to the social world (Wendt, 1992). Wendt defines self-help as a
conflictual, as opposed to cooperative, institution: “a relatively stable set of identities and interests,
codified in formal rules and norms, which have motivational force because of exogenous influences,
such as socialization in relation to collective knowledge” (Wendt, 1992, pg. 399).

The institution of self-help is a function of states’ desire for security, defined by a realist zero-sum
game where collaboration is virtually impossible. Self-help security systems act like a vicious cycle,
with parties engaging and responding in more threatening manners, endlessly mirroring each other out
of insecurity. However, society would best be supported by decision-making based on probabilities,
which are produced by social interactions. These social interactions create intersubjective meanings,
which are always in process (Dunne et al., 2021).
The article also mentions that changing the practices will change the intersubjective knowledge that
constitutes the system, making it possible to rid the self-help system and work towards a cooperative
institution. A cooperative institution is defined by “a system in which states identify positively with
one another so that the security of each is perceived as the responsibility of all” (Wendt, 1992, pg.
400). In addition, although a self-help system could be formed because of solely one predatory state,
the actions of a predator may do less damage when international collective security identity is high.
This is also a characteristic of a cooperative institution (Wendt, 1992).

The purpose of this article is to make a stronger opposing theory that does not follow the notion of the
realist theory on anarchy, which states that self-help is a direct result, and the only possible result, out
of anarchy. Instead, Wendt proposes another theory that, although self-help is a possible effect out of
anarchy, it is not the only possible effect. He emphasizes the importance of social interactions among
states, and how these shape international relations. With this new proposed theory, the necessity to
explain and work with the idea of self-help as the only theory is eradicated.

While both conventional and critical constructivists are in agreement that realism and liberalism place
too little attention on the importance of social interactions, they also have differing beliefs about some
aspects of their theory. With his proposed work, Wendt could be considered a conventional
constructivist. This is because he does not reject the assumptions of positivist science. His theory uses
a social ontology, together with a positivist epistemology, with the emphasis on causality, hypothesis
testing, and the belief that there is such a thing as an objective truth. Whereas the critical
constructivists place the emphasis on linguistics and on a social epistemology, conventional
constructivism, such as Wendt, accept the existence of an objective world and focus on finding the
direct causes of events. Their theory provides more theoretical and epistemological completeness than
that of critical constructivism (Dunne et al., 2021).

References
1. Dunne, T., Kurki, M., & Smith, S. (Eds.). (2021). International relations theories: discipline
and diversity. Oxford University Press, USA. pp. 163-179
2. Wendt, A. (1992). Anarchy is what states make of it: the social construction of power politics.
International organization, 46(2), 391-425.