Global Diplomacy

Student: Heiddy Macas

Date: November 11th, 2022

Teacher: Jamil Pavón

International Relations Theory

According to Gold and McGlinchey (2017), theories of International relations let us

understand the environment around us through different lenses with different theoretical

perspectives, through a three-part spectrum of traditional, middle ground and critical theories.

Traditional Theories

As Gold and McGlinchey (2017) cited Thomas Khun’s “The Structure of Scientific

Revolutions”, he makes it clear that new theories emerge and others get no longer relevant.

They explained that this is caused by significant evolutions, with different time periods,

contexts that make IR play different roles.

Gold and McGlinchey (2017) talk about liberalism as an utopian theory in which the human

being is good and the peace is achievable. Immanuel Kant established that states with liberal

values have no reason for war and people are not willing to go to war. They presented the

case of the “Fourteen Points” paper by the US congress, which contained ideas for rebuilding

a world after the war, with the creation of the League of nations, however in 1939, with the

arise of the Second World War, the failure appears and liberals find no argument to explain

the presence of war. In liberalism, international organizations have a role of assisting states to

take decisions to achieve cooperation with peaceful outcomes.

In the same way, Gold and McGlinchey (2017) explained realism as a convincing argument

that answered why and how a conflict originated after a supposed period of peace, in other

words, it reflects the reality of the world as they cited Thomas Hobbes, that described that

human beings live in a state without order in which war is and will be part of it. Realists,

according to Gold and McGlinchey (2017), human beings are selfish and behave according to

their interests, therefore, in this scenario, conflict is unavoidable and they cite Hans

Morgenthau who said that politics is about domination, and so opposed to cooperation. In

realism, international organizations have the role of acting in case of self- interest.

The middle ground

Hedley Bull as is cited by Gold and McGlinchey (2017), as being part of the English school,

established that having an international society is the approach to International Relations.

Constructivism is a theory from the middle ground that highlights the importance of values

and the shared individuals in the global context, both at the same time. (McGlinchey & Gold,

2017) Alexander Wendt defended this theory describing a relationship between individuals

and the state in which there is constraint and construction of identity and interest.

(McGlinchey & Gold, 2017)

Critical theories

McGlinchey and Gold (2017) explained that critical theories help to identify positions and

provide a voice to individuals that have been marginalized. Marxism is an approach based on

the ideas of Karl Marx that society is divided into the business class and the working class,

and that takes form in an international perspective in this theory, where common aspects are

not recognized but instead there is division.

Postcolonialism, according to McGlinchey and Gold (2017), focuses its attention to

inequality between nations that arose from the effects of colonialism where the international

relations are centered around decolonization. This helped to create a better understanding of

the political and social challenges faced by these regions. An example McGlinchey and Gold

(2017) proposed is that in the case of talking about the United Nations from the

postcolonialism perspective, it would be discussed based on cultural, national or religious

privilege explaining the the security council of the UN, does not include any African or Latin

American permanent member but a strong presence of colonial powers.

Green Political Theory

The principal characteristic of this theory according to Eckersley cited by Burchill, et al.,

(2005) is ecocentrism, which is defined as the moral value given to the ecosystem and all

living beings. The principal ideas of thai theory includes that it involves a view of the world

that is based on inter-relations rejecting the individual entities, that there exists an exponential

growth in the world that is decreasing the amount of resources needed for sustaining the

population or not enough for providing raw material, and finally the decentralism aspect that

implicates how effective a nation-state deal with sustainability and what regional and global

structures are needed to coordinate responses. (Burchill, et al., 2005)

In conclusion, theories are lenses that let us see different angles of the world and its system.

These theoretical frameworks, in correct use, can become tools of analysis to critique global

political and complex issues, however the growth of international relations in the last years,

has carried an increment of complexity and so, the number of international relations theories.
 References

Burchill,, S., Linklater, A., Devetak, R., Donnelly, J., Paterson, M., n Reus-Smit, C., & True,

J. (2005). Theories of International Relations, Third edition. Retrieved November 8,

2022, from http://lib.jnu.ac.in/sites/default/files/RefrenceFile/Theories-of-IR.pdf

McGlinchey, S., & Gold, D. (2017, January 9). International Relations Theory.

E-International Relations. Retrieved November 8, 2022, from

https://www.e-ir.info/2017/01/09/international-relations-theory/