1. Anastasia Malliot Erjo O. Coscolluela
Realism & Liberalism
Anastasia Malliot
Erjo O. Coscolluela

2. Introduction
Realism and liberalism are the primary theories of IR and remain the dominant ones today.
Both are vast schools of study that encompass many different ways of looking at IR. There is no one realism or one liberalism (liberalism is even wider than realism).
Historical background: Ancient Greece, up until WW1 = classical realism. WW1 liberalism/idealism. WW2 & Cold war = structural realism. 1970s onwards = appearance of critical approaches of IR (transnationalism, neo- Marxism, feminism critique etc. IR as a field of study is very recent!
Reminder: International system is characterized by anarchy.
Realists: “…which means that conflict is inevitable.”
Liberals: “…which means that we must/can cooperate.”

3. What’s the difference?
THE REALIST WAY Differences in power  States act in a certain way  Which effects the way the entire system is. State A has more power than B  B gets more weapons, but A feels threatened by this and gets even more weapons than B  The system becomes unstable and conflict is imminent (security dilemma). THE LIBERAL WAY Institutions/global governance are in place  Creates a sphere for open diplomacy  Leads to cooperation State A and B are part of the same institution  A and B mediate their diplomacy through the guidelines of the institution  A and B engage in cooperation.

4. The school of Realism

5. The school of Realism:
CLASSICAL REALISM (Thucydides, Machiavelli, Morgenthau): Phenomena in international politics can be explained by natural laws in humanity. Humans are by nature selfish and hungry for power.  Balance of power must be constructed through the actions of political leaders (Concert of Europe).
STRUCTURAL REALISM (Rousseau, Waltz, Mearsheimer): Phenomena in international politics can be explained by the fact that there is no higher authority above states to act as a policeman or judge. Therefore, states struggle in order to ensure their security in a system of self-help.  Balance of power will appear naturally due to alliances that will counterbalance threats (cold war).
Within structural realism: OFFENSIVE (Mearsheimer) vs DEFENSIVE REALISM (Waltz)  They disagree on how much power states should have (Waltz: appropriately, because power is not an end, but a means for security. Mearsheimer: there is no limit, because peace can only be ensured by accumulating more power than other states through opportunism).
What is power? Morgenthau: “man’s control over the minds and actions of other men”. Hard vs soft power, realists mainly fall into the first category.

6. Key concepts in realism:
What is power? Morgenthau: “man’s control over the minds and actions of other men”. Hard vs soft power, realists mainly fall into the first category.
Statism: Realists believe that there is only one relevant actor on the international scene, which is the state, a sovereign entity. Hobbes’ theory of Leviathan explains why domestic politics and international politics are different  the set up is not the same (hierarchical vs. anarchical).
Survival: Realists consider that the most important goal of states in international relations is to ensure survival. Offensive and defensive realists disagree on the exact means to attain security, which in turn permits survival (as seen before).
Self-help: Realists argue that in order to survive and attain security, each state must fend for themselves. This creates a vicious cycle where each state tries to maximize their security, in turn creating insecurity for other states (security dilemma).

7. Is realism still relevant?
Through globalization, the world is changing. NGOs, corporations and terrorist organizations have become important actors, even though they are not states. Realists have always highlighted the continuities in world, so are their analyses still relevant today?
To realists, the phenomenon of globalization is closely linked to American supremacy on the international political scene  Westernization and the spread of American values, ideas and norms. US is one of the greatest advocates of globalization, because it allows for the creation of an environment that is not hostile to its supremacy.
Interdependence, which has been seen as a stabilizing feature by liberals, has also been shown to create many vulnerabilities (ex: 2008 economic crisis which spilled into the rest of the world from the US).
The war in Iraq and the fight against terror can be seen according to realists as an example of a hegemon neglecting its national interest (=security) and therefore misusing its power.

8. The school of Liberalism

9. Ideas behind Liberalism:
Kant and Bentham talk about the barbarity of international relations (“the lawless state of savagery”) and how there is a need for “perpetual peace”
Kant’s Perpetual Peace: The Civil Constitution of Every State Shall be Republican; The Right of Nations shall be based on a Federation of Free States; Cosmopolitan Right shall be limited to Conditions of Universal Hospitality.
Doyle highlights how states have created “a separate peace”
Fukuyama: celebrated the triumph of liberalism in defense of democratic peace, stating that liberal states were more stable internationally and more peaceful in their international relations
Wilson: In his “Fourteen Points Speech” said that a general association of nations must be formed to ensure peace (collective security)

10. Liberalism: Four-Dimensional Definition by Doyle:
All citizens are juridically equal and possess certain basic rights to education, access to a free press, and religious toleration
The legislative assembly of the state possesses only the authority invested in it by the people, whose basic rights it is not permitted to abuse
The right to own property, including productive forces
The most effective system of economic exchange is one that is largely market-driven and not one that is subordinate to bureaucratic regulation and control
…THEREFORE, there is a stark contrast between liberal values (individual) and conservative values (community).
States themselves have different characteristics (like individuals). Therefore, IDENTITY of the state determines its outward orientation

11. The Cause of War:
FIRST IMAGE – Human Nature (Cobden): States that conflict arises from interventions by governments domestically and internationally which disturbs a natural order. Individual liberty, free trade, prosperity, and interdependence are therefore imperative to peace.
SECOND IMAGE – The State (Wilson): International Politics are undemocratic in nature, especially foreign policy and balance of power. Instead of balance of power, collective security should take precedence, along with national self-determination and democratic systems open to public opinion.
THIRD IMAGE – The Structure of Power (Hobson): The main cause of conflict is the balance of power system. We need a world government with powers to mediate and enforce decisions.
LIBERALISM states that instead of anarchism, imperialism, balance of power, and undemocratic regimes are the main problems.

12. Key Concepts of Liberalism:
1. International Cooperation is key; there is mutual benefit and growth to be sought 2. The role of non-state actors (INGOs, NGOs) are important to the nation state and to international systems 3. While anarchy is a feature of war, it primarily arises from imperialism, balance of power, and undemocratic systems. Collective security must be achieved.

13. Challenges of Liberalism
Cooperation is harder to achieve than what we once assumed. Ikenberry states that after World War II, we saw the rise of power of the USA and EU in establishing and maintaining fundamental liberal principles ; however, their power has now diminished since it is believed to no longer provide an adequate framework to support liberal international order. Now, there is a question on who can take up that role of leadership. In addition, struggles of power among superpowers (USA, China, Russia) are threats to the ideals of liberalism. Furthermore, there is a debate on whether we should preserve the current order of things as opposed to reconstituting it according to more distributive principles.

14. Discussion questions:
Which school of thought provides a more convincing analysis of international relations in your opinion? Explain why.
Do you think that states cooperate purely out of personal interest or because they share common norms and values?
What do you think is the main reason there has been no major interstate war in 1945?
Do you believe that all relations among individual states are truly anarchic?