Is international anarchy the permissive cause of war? Chapter 2: Realism Is international anarchy the permissive cause of war? © 2014 Cynthia Weber

Learning aims: Understand the international anarchy myth Tell the difference between realism and neorealism Understand developments in Waltz’s thinking and why these matter Critically reflect on the work that “fear” does for the international anarchy myth © 2014 Cynthia Weber

Last week: Introduction Culture: “an ensemble of stories we tell about ourselves” (Geertz, 1975) Ideology: Conscious (e.g. liberalism) and unconscious (e.g. “boys will be boys”) The myth function in IR: cultural interpretation  Myth function “Natural Fact” © 2014 Cynthia Weber

(Neo) Realism Flashcard Concepts: Sovereign States Human Nature International Anarchy Fear Myth: “international anarchy is the permissive cause of war” Key thinkers: Hans Morgenthau & Kenneth Waltz © 2014 Cynthia Weber

Realism vs. Neorealism (table 2.1) Interest of States Survival How to achieve survival Increase power because world government is unachievable Human nature Man is flawed and therefore prone to conflict. This explains why cooperation is never guaranteed and world government is unachievable Man may or may not be flawed. Human nature is not essential to an explanation of conflict Anarchy The environment in which sovereign nation-states act Describes the social relations among sovereign nation-states that causally explain why wars occur © 2014 Cynthia Weber

Causes of war for Waltz (table 2.2) Location Description Type of cause First image Nature of man Immediate Second image International organization of states and societies Third image International anarchy Permissive © 2014 Cynthia Weber

Waltzian neorealism (table 2.3) Structure Ordering principle Formal differentiation Distribution of power Domestic Hierarchy Centered Heterogeneous Dissimilar Monopoly Global Anarchy Decentered Oligopoly Consequences Political processes Relationships Goals Domestic Specialization High interdependence Maximize welfare Global Intimidation Balancing Low interdependence Maximize security © 2014 Cynthia Weber

Theory activity: “International anarchy is the permissive cause of war” Aim: Be able to understand the workings of Waltz’s myth (“international anarchy is the permissive cause of war”) through a real world example Scenario: Iran has acquired nuclear weapons Divide into five groups: Iran, USA, US ally (Britain), Neutral state (Sweden) and World government (quasi world government/ UN) © 2014 Cynthia Weber

Theory activity cont. USA UK Iran Sweden World government Quasi-world government No world or quasi-world government What would your country do in the different scenarios? Use the table to chart out the different possibilities © 2014 Cynthia Weber

How does Lord of the Flies represent hierarchy and anarchy? How does Lord of the Flies represent hierarchy and anarchy? (table 2.4) Hierarchy Anarchy Characterized by rules, reason, law and order, all of which are guaranteed by the presence of adults Characterized by the absence of guarantees to order or reason because of the absence of adults © 2014 Cynthia Weber

What is typical and what is deviant in the two worlds of the Lord of the Flies? (table 2.5) Anarchy Island world: Hierarchy Familiar world: Typical Deviant © 2014 Cynthia Weber

Lord of the Flies (box 2.2) Where does fear figure in Waltz’s myth as enacted in Lord of the Flies? 1. Loss of hierarchy (lack of adults) 2. Reestablishment of hierarchy with rules and elections (conch shell) This is what goes without saying in Waltz’s myth Fear becomes widespread (belief in beast) 3. Hierarchy fails (Jack leaves and starts rival group) 4. Conflict occurs (Jack and Ralph’s groups fight/Piggy is killed) 5. Anarchy ends (boys rescued and reintroduction of adults) © 2014 Cynthia Weber

Lord of the Flies (table 2.6) The locations of fear in Lord of the Flies Location Description Illustration First image Human nature Jack and his followers increasing savagery Second image International organization of states and societies Jack’s bad tribe against Ralph’s good tribe Third image International anarchy Competitive, self-help system in which boys create security dilemma on island None of Waltz’s images Irrationally generated by the boys themselves and externalized The beast © 2014 Cynthia Weber

Film activity: Lord of the Flies and fear Aim Use film Lord of the Flies to investigate how Waltz’s myth “international anarchy is the permissive cause of war” functions and to show that FEAR is a necessary supplement to this myth Discuss Discuss content of film: plot, characters and cinematic effects Answer How does the film make sense of the world? What does the film say is typical and deviant in that world? Where is FEAR located in the film? © 2014 Cynthia Weber

Next week: Idealism Is there an international society? Film: Independence Day “Domestic analogy” © 2014 Cynthia Weber