6th Lecture

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Liberalism, Neoliberalism, Realism and Neorealism

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Liberalism

Also known as Idealism or utopianism paradigm of IR, based on the ideas given by the U.S. president Woodrow Wilson in its historical address to the Congress in 1918 (Post WWI era).

First

stress upon cooperation, use of international institution and 3/26/12 democracy.

Liberals

Three forms of Liberal Internationalism

Robert

Keohane distinguishes between three forms of liberal internationalism.

Commercial Liberalism promotes trade and commerce across state borders, in the belief that economic interdependence among states will reduce incentives to use force and raise the costs of doing so.

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Cont
Republican Liberalism endorses the spread of democracy among states in order that government will be accountable to their citizens. Regulatory Liberalism seeks to promote the rule of law in international relations, as well as organizations and practices to moderate the security dilemma among states.
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Cont
Liberalism

influence in the contemporary politics can be measured through its authorship of the two most profound trends,
The spread of democracy after the cold

war

The globalization of world economy

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Realism
Most For

frequently adopted theory of IR

realists international system is anarchical relations are best understood by focusing on the distribution of power.

International

the basic assumption of realist paradigm is the constant existence of conflict among states. This is 3/26/12

Thus

Cont
Hence;

the competition for power is going on in the world and this can neither be controlled nor regulated by international law, world government or international organization.

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Six principles of Realist theory given by Hans J. Morganthau

Politics The

is governed by objective laws

concept of national interest can be defined in terms of power. National interest is not fixed an is molded by the environment moral principles do not guide state behavior

Universal

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Cont
There

is no universally agreed set of moral principles. sphere is autonomous.

Political

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Neo-realism
Neo-realism Kenneth Waltz

or structural realism emerged in 1970s Waltz challenge the theory of traditional realism and liberalism. associates hierarchy and anarchy two political ordering principles.

believes most of the theories including realism focused on 3/26/12

He

Cont
Waltz

believe that international system has a precisely defined structure with three important characteristics, these are
The ordering principle of the system The character of the units in the system The distribution of the capabilities of the

units in the system

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Realism vs. Neo-realism

Realist

such as Morgenthau argued that power is rooted in the nature of humankind where as Neo-realist such as Waltz point to the anarchical condition of the international realm which imposes the accumulation of power as a systematic requirement on states.

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Neo-liberalism
Further This

refinement of liberalism

paradigm came into existence as a reaction to Neo-realism are not the only actors create international organizations to further their interests dont act in unitary fashion

States States

States
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