INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORIES: PLURALISM OR LIBERALISM

Dr. MARGARITA SESELGYTEInstitute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius university, 2010

PLURALISM(liberalism) Non-state actors are

important entities State is not a unitary

actor State is not necessarily

a rational actor The agenda of

international politics is much more extensive than national security issues

Conflicts are irrational

PLURALISM AN IMAGE OF A ‘LATTICEWORK’ OR ‘COBWEB’

Non-state actors

Interdependence

Overlay

Transactions

TRANSNATIONALISM

Transnationalism caused by modernization changed the nature of international relations

No clear distinction between domestic and foreign policies

Economic and foreign policies becoming blurred

DECISION MAKING

Decision makers influence Foreign Policy agenda Individual experiences and group thinking also

matters Unitary decision does not necessarily mean

consistent implementation of the policy Transnational coalitions of ‘like – minded’

INTEGRATION

Cooperation is necessary to address complex problems of modern international system

Positive sum game or win – win scenario Principle of spill over Interdependence prevents conflicts International regimes encourage mutual trust

SYSTEM AND CHANGE

Pluralists are rather individualists than holists Believe in the gradual transformation of world

politics Emphasize feedback system

LIBERALISM

Idealism Democratic Peace theory Republican liberalism Neoliberalism Sociological liberalism Institutional liberalism Interdependence liberalism

IDEALISM

Philosophical theory Ultimate nature of reality

is based on the mind an ideas

Philosophy of perception Plato, Kant Woodrow Wilson Laid foundations to the

Liberalism in International Relations

INSTITUTIONAL LIBERALISM OR LIBERAL INSTITUTIONALISM States are not main actors of international

relations International institutions can increase and

aid cooperation between states European Union, economic agreements

(ASEAN), NAFTA Nevertheless bad states should be dealt

with Related to the Democratic peace theory

NEO-LIBERALISM

Market driven approach to economic and social policy based on neoclassical theories of economics

Nation – states are concerned with absolute gains

Main methodological tool – game theory Joseph Nye, Robert Keohane, John

Mearshimer, Richard Ned Lebow

SOCIOLOGICAL LIBERALISM Critique of realism See international relations as relations

between people, groups and organizations in different countries

Peaceful human society is possible if there is closer cooperation between those groups

Can be managed

INTEGRATION THEORIES

Federalism Functionalism Neofunctionalism

DEMOCRATIC PEACE THEORY (also Liberal peace theory and Republican liberalism) Theory related to the research

on relationship between the democracy and peace

Conflicts and wars are rare to democracies

Systematic violence is in general less common within democracies

Criticism of the Democratic Peace Theory: theoretical criticism Distinction between democracy and non –

democracy – matter of interpretation Rosato (2003) – democracies are not peaceful to

each other because they are democracies but rather because they are similar

There are other factors that relate to the peacefulness: economic welfare, democratic norms, participation in international organizations

No consensus on why democracy should be capable of pacifying world politics

Valid only after 1945

Criticism of the Democratic Peace Theory: practical criticism Democratic crusade? Universal applicability of democracy? Preference of stable/ friendly authoritarian

regimes

Democratic Peace Theory is supported

by the USA Bill Clinton: Ultimately the best strategy to ensure our

security and to build a durable peace is to support the advance of the democracy elsewhere. Democracies don’t attack each other

George W. Bush: And the reason why I’m so strong on democracy is democracies don’t go to war with each other. And the reason why is the people of most societies don’t like war, and they understand what war means… I’ve got great faith in democracies to promote peace. And that’s why I’m such a strong believer that the way forward in the Middle East, the broader Middle East, is to promote democracy

And the EU

Chris Patten: Inevitable because the EU was formed partly to protect liberal values, so it is hardly surprising that we should think it appropriate to speak out. But it is also sensible for strategic reasons. Free societies tend not to fight one another or to be bad neighbors.

EU Security Strategy: The best protection for our security is a world of well = governed democratic states

NEO – NEO DEBATE

One of the main debates of IR theory Neo-liberalism takes key concepts from both

pluralism and neo – realism Neo – liberalism and neo – realism got closer

together than with liberalism or realism Main difference: neo liberalism – absolute

gains, neo realism – relative gains

GREAT DEBATES IN THE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

THEORY

Realism vs Idealism Behaviouralism in international relations

theory Inter-paradigm Debate Postivism vs. Post - positivism

CRITIQUE OF PLURALISM

Downplay role of anarchy and security dilemma

Lack of a unified consistent theory Too much rely on voluntarism

RESEARCH AGENDA

Democracy and peace Security communities International institutions Integration of states Pool of sovereignty

QUESTIONS