Q2) Does the international society approach offer a viable middle way between the realist

and liberal accounts of international cooperation?

Intro:
- Define what is the International Society Approach
- Agree and explain that International Society Approach is a viable middle way between realist
and liberal accounts of international cooperation.
Body:
- Analyse the realist accounts of international cooperation;
o Explain one or two various thinkers such as Thucydides, Hobbes, and Machiavelli’s
remarks on international cooperation
 Thucydides’ Trap, (Pursuing of self help)
 Hobbes’ State of Nature (International System is in a state of anarchy)
 Machiavelli’s international system (Power is cyclical)
- Analyse the liberal accounts of international cooperation;
o Explain various thinkers such as Kant’s remarks on international cooperation.
 Strong claims to progress (Not determined by power dynamics alone)
 Teleological international system
 Kant’s Liberalism (rational human beings)
 Kant’s Perpetual Peace
- State how the international society approach offers a viable middle way,
o Explain various thinkers such as Bull and Grotius remarks on international society and how
it offers a middle way between realist and liberal accounts of international cooperation.
 There is anarchy but no international system but an international society (A middle
way between realists and liberalists
 Hedley Bulls’ definition of international system offers a middle way between realists’
concept of self help and liberalists’ perpetual peace ( 2 or more states contacts =
behave as a whole)
 Just war theory = middle way for realists and liberalism (There is justice in war, and
justice in going to war)
Conclusion:
- Explain that with all the examples, the International society approach offers a viable middle
way taking into consideration how the different concepts such as Just War theory especially
is a middle way between realist and liberal accounts of international cooperation.
Q12) Is it possible for a state’s military capability to be socially constructed

Intro
- Definition of state’s military capability (Realism)
- Definition of the idea of social construction (Constructivism)
Thesis
- It is possible (Lean towards constructivism ideas)
Body
- Analysis of constructivism
o What is can be socially constructed
- Explain how state’s military capability can be socially constructed
o Examples such as Colonisation was a show of strength thus the European colonisation of
Africa.
o Examples such as how Hitler’s military capability was socially constructed as militarisation
was a sign of salvation for Germany due of the disadvantages they experienced after
WW1.
Counter-body
- Explain in realist lens how it is not possible
Conclusion
- Revisit how ideas and cultural political and even religious factors can impact state
behaviours which includes military capability
Q4) When compared to other approaches, does the ‘English school’ confer any advantages in the
explanation of international relations

Intro:
- Define and explain what the English School is
o International Society
- Explain the history of English School and from which branch of thought did it rise from.
- Agree that the English School confer some advantages in the explanation of international
relations.
Body:
- Explain the other approaches
o Explain Realism (5 points of Realism and its political thinkers)
 Selfish human nature
 Pursuit of Self help
 Anarchy in the international System
 Relative gains through Military Power
 Power is cyclical, power cannot be shared but transferred from one state to another.
o Explain Liberalism (Kant’s Liberalism and Perpetual Peace)
 Rational human nature
 Not determined by power dynamics alone but of ideas
 Teleological international system
 Natural state is one of war but not necessarily mean open hostilities (Progressive not
stagnant)
o Explain English School Approach
 There is anarchy but not a system (Not predictable) rather a society
 Society = Do not follow structural constraints and go to war necessarily
 Norms and conventions shape state behaviour
o Advantages of English School Approach
 A mixture of both realist and liberalist approaches (explain)
 Not idealistic unlike liberalists
 Not pragmatic unlike realists
 Focus on State System, Sovereign Equality, Non-intervention and International Law
(vast and objective)
 Used by liberalist
 o Disadvantages
 Focuses on the ideas than the interests and institutions (Might be considered as too
one sided)
 States and institutions are main actors but not as important as the identity of states
(If Identity of states is too important, it may leave out the behavioural factors of
states and institutions to the international relations)
 Unlike the constructivist school, ES is theoretical, does not do empirical testing
enough

Conclusion
- Agree that the English School confer advantages in the explanation of international relations
despite the critiques as it provides a theoretical backbone to the explanation of international
relations
Q5) Are you persuaded that there are no hierarchies in international society

Intro:
- Define what International Society is
o Identity of states shapes how states socialize with other states
- Disagree that there are no hierarchies in international society.
Body:
- Explain what hierarchies are in the international relations
o Historical International order within the international society
- Explain that there are hierarchies in the international society.
o Fostered Trade between groups
 Developed specializations to increase capabilities
o Hierarchy within who shapes the norms and conventions (Who is the higher state that
could shape the norms and conventions)
o Hedley Bull’s definition – When two or more have sufficient impact on another’s decisions
to cause them to behave as part of a whole
 Impact on another’s decisions means one is of higher standing than the other.
 There is a first world, third world countries in the International System.
Counter-body:
- No hierarchy as states has its own sovereignty

Conclusion
- There are hierarchies in the international society, based on historical evidences ranging from
13,000-14,000 years ago till the end of the WW2 where the winners of the WW2 which is
USA as the superpowers of the modern world over the third world countries
Q3) What effect or legacy has the League of Nations had upon the development of liberal
international theory

Intro:
- Explain what the League of Nations is
- Define the developments of liberal international theory
Thesis:
- There is a positive effect or legacy that the LoN had upon the development of liberal
international theory.
Body:
- Explain the positive effects or legacy
o UN was formed better with W.Wilson despite being unsupported because of the failures
of LoN
o UN used liberalists concepts in shaping new norms and institutions
o There is progress upon the failure of the LoN
o Harmony of Interests was actualized (Legacy of LoN)
o LoN and the development of the UN is the self-actualization of liberal international
Theory.
Counter Body:
- LoN failed in enacting liberal international theory (Cause of the fall of LoN)
- LoN only theorised the development of liberal international theory

Conclusion:
LoN had a positive effect and legacy upon the development of liberal international theory as in the
broad picture, there was progress as States that were at War in the past, are currently working
together now in harmony of interests.
Q4 2019) Do norms have independent power in the international system or are they tools wielded
by powerful states?

Intro:
Describe what are norms in the intl system are and examples
Explain that norms are tools wielded by powerful states and does not have independent power

Body:
Explain neorealist (Mearshiemer) concept to analyse how norms are tools wielded by powerful
states
 States are main players in influencing states behaviour
 Norms does not influence state behaviours but used by powerful states for its interests
o Examples (Possession of nuclear weapons)
o Tariffs and barriers by the US to protect domestic industries against China’s growing
economy)
Counter Body:
Explain Liberalist thinking that norms have independent power in intl system
 Examples of norms influencing state behaviours
o Environmental organisations pushing states to minimise consumption of fossil fuels
through various means (Paris Agreement)
Conclusion
Despite the Paris Agreement, there is still consumption of fossil fuels and is still harming the planet.
Norms are only tools as only if its in the best of all interests of states then states will follow such
norms established.
Q9) Does the existence of international organisations (IO) strengthen or weaken the sovereignty of
states. (SoS)

Intro:
Describe what are IO and examples of IO
State that IO both strengthens and weakens the sovereignty of states

Body:
Explain how IOs can strengthens SoS
 Beneficial strengthening of SoS to powerful states’ interests
Counter:
Explain how IOs can weaken SoS
 Beneficial weakening of SoS to powerful states’ interests

Body:
Explain modern realist concept that the IO are serving the powerful states’ interest which either
strengthen or weaken the SoS. (Whichever benefits the state interest of the powerful states.

Conclusion:
The existence of IO can both strengthen and weaken SoS depending on the state interests of the
powerful states.
Lecture 11 Feminism & Poststructuralism

Is ‘Where are the women?” an important question for international politics?

Intro:
- Intro to what feminism theory in Intl Pol is about.
- Intro to Intl Politics
- State that “where are the women’ is not an important question in Intl Politics
Body:
- Explain why it is not important;
o Explain that Intl politics does not have to be gender centric and by addressing this
question, it will cause theories such as realism, liberalism, Marxism, etc to not address the
important masculine logic that women are not necessarily free of.
o Explain that these “masculine logic” based theories can not be avoided as it is the
underlying basics that helps us understand how political actors would react to specific
situations.
o Explain that these theories did not leave out the women of society but was addressing the
every citizens and political actors of the whole state which consists of men, women, etc.
 Human rights (All of humans)
Counter-Body
Are feminist critiques of international relations still relevant?

Intro:
- Intro to Feminism
- Agree with statement
Body:
- Explain why it’s critique is still relevant
o Helps strengthen realist and neo-realist theories
 Militarism
 Women Soldiers in war
o Helps strengthen liberalist and neo-liberalist theories
 Female Key Political actors of the states
 Female NGO leaders
o Help strengthen Marxist and neo-marxism theories
 When women goes to protests, changes are achieved high likely.
Anti-body:
- It is not important because In some parts of the world women are still oppressed and
abused and sometimes seen as weak and be protected which demonstrates superior
masculine logic within society, despite feminist critiques of IR, no changes has been seen or
made.
Conclusion:
- The critique of feminism of IR is still relevant as it broadens the scope of different IR theories
and helps to enhance it with its critiques. It may not have a better different whole theory to
dismantle the IR theories but it serves as a learning step for other theories and demands its
theorists to be critical of their own.