Part 2

Jeeran group
II Realism:
Roots of Realism
Realism: World View
Realism & world politics
Evaluation
:Roots & Advocates of Realism
Thucydes (Wars between Athens & Sparta)
Nicola Machiavelli
Thomas Hobbs
Advocates: George Kennan, Hans J. Morgenthau, &
Kenneth Thompson.
:Realist World View
Realist world view is based on three main
assumptions:
1- State-Centric assumption.
2- Unitary Rational assumption.
3- Anarchy assumption.

:Realist World View

People are selfish by nature.
Conflict of interests among states is inevitable.
National interest of states.
Power & principles?
Prudence.

Relative power/absolute power.

Allies.
International organizations.
Balance of power.
 :Power In IR
International politics revolves around power:
1- Acquisition of power
2- Increasing power
3- Projecting power.

:Realism & World Politics

Realism fits in interpreting word politics during the
Cold War.
Fits in explaining the prevailing policies of some
states: ex…….
Fits in times of tensions..
:Realism: Evaluation: Positive aspects
1- Important attempt to think theoretically about IR.
2- Its arguments are convincing.
3- Have evidence in history.
4- Remains relevant in explaining many aspects of
contemporary world politics.
:Realism: Evaluation: Limitations
Onefactor only.
Lack of precision in definition of main concepts….
Left many questions unanswered….
Methodology….
New developments in world politics?..

Disregard of ethical principles & the material & social

costs of its policy prescriptions..
Criticism of the rationality assumption….How?
- States are not unitary actors….

- simplification of how states actually arrive to decisions.

 More complex, includes pressures from many groups…,
mistakes can be made due to many reasons…lack of
information, character of leader….perceptions.
Did not predict the peaceful end of the cold war…

:III - Extensions of Realism

The Neorealist or Structural extension of Realism
Neoclasical Extension of Realism
The Neorealist or Structural Extension of -1
:Realism
Late 1970’s, Kenneth Walts
Main Ideas:
The effect of the structure of International system….
Read Text.
:Neorealism : Evaluation
Consideredto be more scientific compared to realism:
proposing general laws to explain IR interactions.
Examples:
1- Number of poles & the possibility of wars.
2- Power transition theory.

Limitations:
1- One level of analysis.
2- Non-State actors.
3- Cooperation.

:Neoclasical Extension of Realism -2

Main Ideas:
Read text….
 :IV- Neoliberalism
Assumptions & Main Ideas.
When & Why did it gain Popularity?
Main Theories.

:Assumptions & Main Ideas

Started in the 1980’s as a critique of realism & gained
strength in 1990’s.
It shares realist assumptions of:
1- Anarchy……
2- States are rational actors…….
3- But emphasizes the role of Non State Actors

:Main Ideas
States are able to cooperate.....
Importance of International institutions ( Neoliberal
institutionalism ) Why?
liberal idea that seeking long term mutual gains is often
more rational than maximizing individual short term
gains. ( absolute/relative gains )

?Why did it Gain Importance

1- Realism’s failure to predict the end of the cold war.
2- Prospects of cooperation after the fall of SU.
3- New issues in word politics agenda.
4- The progress in European Integration.
Focal Points of Debate between Neorealism
& Neoliberalism
Nature & consequence of anarchy.
 Ease & likelihood of international cooperation.
Relative / absolute gains.
Priority of state goals.
Capabilities & intentions.
Institutions & regimes.
Read TEXT
:Theoretical Perspectives of Neoliberalism
Complex Interdependence.
International Regimes.
International Integration

1- Complex Interdependence:
What
is Interdependence?
How to measure Interdependence
Effects of Interdependence on IR

?What is Interdependence
Atheory that stresses the complex ways in which the
growing ties among transnational actors make them:
- vulnerable to each other’s actions
- & sensitive to each other’s needs(E….
Opposite to isolation & self help.
MNC tying economies.

:Measuring Interdependence
1- Amount of interactions between actors.
2- Degree of sensitivity:
- Sensitivity to the cessation of the relationship
- Sensitivity to developments inside another actor
(Prices, instability….)
3- Number of institutions that regulate cooperation
between actors.
 :Effects of Interdependence
1- Reducing the capacity of states to control their
destinies (HOW?).
2- It enlarged the decision making agendas of states to
include new issues other than security issues.
3- Affects the use of military force in IR (WHY?)
particularly between industrialized countries).

:International Regimes -2
It
emphasizes the possibility of institutionalized
patterns of cooperation in specific issue areas
according to established rules.
Mainly in Low politics not High politics: ( HOW? EX…)
READ TEXT
Conclusion: Which of the four theories is
?more relevant
IR is very complicated. It can’t be reduced simply to
any one of them.
Each theory was popular at times (relevant to
transformations in IR), then would fade, then might
regain its attractiveness when developments make them
useful once again.
 Conclusion: Which of the four theories is
?more relevant
IR is very complicated. It can’t be reduced simply to any one of
them.
Each theory has its advantages & limitations…….
Each theory was popular at times (relevant to transformations
in IR), then would fade, then might regain its attractiveness when
developments make them useful once again.
( conflicts & cooperation)

:V- Behavioralism
Origin of Behavioralism: When & Why
Main Characteristics
Evaluation

?Origin of Behavioralism: When & Why

Inthe 1960’s & early 1970’s as a counter reaction to the
“traditional way” of studying IR.
Better described as a methodology than a theoretical
perspective.

It belongs to a larger movement in Social sciences( behavioral

social sciences (Psychology, sociology..) that:
- Is skeptical about traditional, general & abstract approaches.
- Admires scientific approaches used in science.
Advocates: David Easton, David Singer

:Main Characteristics
1- Unit of analysis is behavior:……
2- Emphasis on scientific approach:
 Testing assumptions, correlations between variables,
generalize & finding rules that hold across time
&place.

3- Depends on verifiable knowledge, data, testable

evidence, not subjective beliefs, impressions or
opinions)
4- Using new tools & methods for analysis including quantitative
analysis depending on statistics & using computers.

5- Using comparative & cross-national analysis.

EX…..

:Evaluation: Limitations
Self criticism by its advocates ( Easton).
Limitations:
1- Pre-occupation with methods & the exclusion of addressing
real-world problems, & it lost the sense of theory.
2- Ignoring policy makers’ need for data about how to protect
state’s security….

3- Too costly.
4- It relied on past patterns of human experience that
might be irrelevant to today’s or tomorrow’s world.

5- Neglected the ethical aspects of issues: poverty,

hunger, violence…(can’t be studied quantitatively).
 6- Human behavior is unique: can’t be predicted &
difficult to quantify.( However we can trace trends&
some phenomenon can be quantified: voting.

:Postbehavioralism
Deconstructionism.
Social Constructivism.

:Deconstructionism -1

Main Ideas:
1- International complexity defies description,
explanation, & prediction.
2- There is no objective reality. Reality is affected by
one’s beliefs.

3- The purpose of the scholar is to understand the

motives of the actors by decconstructing the texts of
their speeches.

Techniques:
1- Study texts, discourse, (what was omitted from it or
included implicitly- hidden meaning – behind the lines)
in the writings & speeches of policy makers to
interpret world affairs (not goals or behaviors)

2- It tries to offer readings & interpretations,

not observations.
 3- It does not try to discover cause/effect
relationships.

:Social Constructivism -2
Main Ideas:
1- Self-interested states are the key actors in IR.
2- Their actions are determined not by anarchy but by the ways
states socially “construct” & then respond to the meanings
they give to power politics.

3- Emphasis on the shared ideas and understandings between

actors & how they define their interests, identities & images of
the world, & how shared images influence the ways actors
behave (collective norms & social identities, culture of people
& state actors).
Ex: Being a liberal Democrat encourages intolerance of
autocratic regimes….