Roots of Liberalism
Ancient Rome
- Thomas Aquinas (War is not always the only option)
Liberalism: Human Nature
- humans are basically good
- capable of meaningful cooperation, alturism = positive change
- rational beings
- construct well-designed insitutions with good will
- human misbehaviour > logics of society and insitutions NOT human nature
Liberalism: Institutions
- seeks international cooperation
- open diplomacy needed
- project values of order, justice and tolerance
- demand patience, negotiations, deescalation, NO force
- insitutions and cooperation > state rivalry and selfish interests
- with proper institutions, conflict and war can be avoided (perpetual peace)
Liberalism: Actors in international politics /states
- states = main actors
- domestic policies differ
> same regimes preferable (tend to be more peaceful, self contained, seeking cooperation)
> if democratic & liberal values more spread = power games would be secondary - fosters harmony of interests > morality and individuals are central
- moderation, self-restraint and compromise are essential
Liberalism: broad agenda
- education, economy, society > not only war vs. peace
- address isues from multiple povs
- economic intergration and globalisation = more interconnectedness = world is safer because states depend more on each other
Liberalism: 3 mechanisms essential to fostering peace and prosperity
- international institutions
- arbitrage bodies (leveraging diff. political systems)
- disarmament
Liberalism: eg
Obama, Clinton, Roosvelt, Wilson
Liberalism: criticisms
- too optimistic, often cannot fully explain reality (states naturally prioritise power)
- too enlightend view of reason / human nature
- too simple for such complex role
- universal ethics and moral erode many local traditions
- Western-centric view on world?
Realism: roots
“The Art of War” - Sun Tzu
Thucydides (The
Peloponnesian War)
Machiavelli
Hobbes
Realism: Human nature
- individuals are selfish, and seek survival, dominance and power
- human nature cannot improve
Realism: actors in international politics / states
- rivalry and power plays are timeless
- cooperation and alliances are tactical, non-permanent but long term wisest option is self-help + building strength capabilities (special military)
- main actors = states
- behave more due to external conditions (other states) than by own political regime
- world powers fear each other -> compete for power
- tragic state of perpetual struggle = trigger future wars
- states should selfishly pursue and project power abroad (even if it goes against int’l cooperation)
Realism: Institutions
- int’l order < int’l disorder
-> emprical evidence that although int’l institutions exist, war will always come back - int’l disorder can be mitigated with assertive state power
- while negotiation in int’l institusions, they individually prep worst case
Realism: agendas
- dont like talking about broad agendas
- only see war vs. peace, correlation of forces
Realpolitik
- realist approach to foreign policy
- “power politics”, display of hard power
- behaviour based upon own convience / interest not values or principles
-> if following a principle / value, states will abandon it
-> power and survival > ideals - states have different behaviour domestically vs abroad
- concept developed 1853 by August Ludwig von Rochau
Realpolitik IRL example
Nazi-Soviet Pact, 1939 invasion on Poland
- Pragmatic self interest over idology
-> set aside nazi vs. communist ideologies to secure short term strategic advancements
- security + survival motives
- power + territory > ideals
- temporary convienence
-> both knew pact was short-term arrangement
Criticisms of Realism
- overlooks NSA
- low ethical commitment (say they are amoral)
-> fosters spiral of rivalry = more competition than cooperation - too harsh on human nature (skeptical about human reason)
- fails to explain periods of peace (eg. “long peace” during Cold War)
- overemphasis on military power, overlooking soft power
- overlooks globalisation
- cant address challenges like climate change or HR that require cooperation
Smiliarities btw. Liberalism and Realism
- both identify state as main actor
- both accept national anarchy as starting point of world order/forgein policy
- both seek stability in system (realism within b.o.p and liberalism within institutions, law, cooperation)
Public goods definition
the services a government is expected to provide
- Everyone can access them equally (e.g., security, clean water, roads)
- One person’s use doesn’t reduce availability for others
key idea of realism
States are the primary actors in an anarchic system, driven by self interest and the constant struggle for power to ensure own survival.
enlightenment era / liberalism
- Enlightenment (1680s–1789): emphasized reason, individual rights, and scientific inquiry.
- Inspired revolutions and liberal ideas of equality, freedom, and democracy.
- Key thinkers: Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Wollstonecraft.
