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    Topic: Contending Perspectives On How To Thinks About International Relations Theoretically

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    Rosewitness Oketch
    The document discusses three major theoretical perspectives on international relations: liberalism, realism, and Marxism. [1] Liberalism sees the international system as a process with multiple interacting actors, realism views it as anarchic where state power is key to survival, and Marxism considers it one of competition between capital-owning and labor groups. [2] The perspectives differ in their characterization of the international system, actors involved, and possibilities for change. [3] Understanding these theoretical underpinnings helps analyze events using different lenses.

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    Topic: Contending Perspectives On How To Thinks About International Relations Theoretically

    Uploaded by

    Rosewitness Oketch
    32 views5 pages
    The document discusses three major theoretical perspectives on international relations: liberalism, realism, and Marxism. [1] Liberalism sees the international system as a process with multiple interacting actors, realism views it as anarchic where state power is key to survival, and Marxism considers it one of competition between capital-owning and labor groups. [2] The perspectives differ in their characterization of the international system, actors involved, and possibilities for change. [3] Understanding these theoretical underpinnings helps analyze events using different lenses.

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    Thesis document

    Original Title

    WEEK 4

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    The document discusses three major theoretical perspectives on international relations: liberalism, realism, and Marxism. [1] Liberalism sees the international system as a process with multiple interacting actors, realism views it as anarchic where state power is key to survival, and Marxism considers it one of competition between capital-owning and labor groups. [2] The perspectives differ in their characterization of the international system, actors involved, and possibilities for change. [3] Understanding these theoretical underpinnings helps analyze events using different lenses.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    32 views5 pages

    Topic: Contending Perspectives On How To Thinks About International Relations Theoretically

    Uploaded by

    Rosewitness Oketch
    The document discusses three major theoretical perspectives on international relations: liberalism, realism, and Marxism. [1] Liberalism sees the international system as a process with multiple interacting actors, realism views it as anarchic where state power is key to survival, and Marxism considers it one of competition between capital-owning and labor groups. [2] The perspectives differ in their characterization of the international system, actors involved, and possibilities for change. [3] Understanding these theoretical underpinnings helps analyze events using different lenses.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 5

    Topic: Contending perspectives on how to thinks about International

    Relations theoretically
    • At the end of the topic student’s should be able to;
    • Explain the major theoretical underpinnings of liberalism, realism and
    Marxism
    • Think theoretically about events and trends in international relations
    • Analyze events using the three theoretical perspectives
    Political scientists and scholars of international relations develop theories in order
    to understand the causes of events that occur in international relations every day.
    • The three theoretical perspectives are;
    • Liberalism: the liberalist has three interpretations of the international system.
    It sees the international system not as a structure, but a process, in which
    multiple interactions occur among different parties and where various actors
    learn from interactions.
    • Realism: frequently referred to as the power theory is identified with
    scholars such as Henry Kissinger and Kenneth Waltz. In the thinking of the
    realists, the international system is defined as anarchy. Thus in such
    anarchical situation, state power is the key.
    • Marxism: view of relations between individuals, society, market and society
    in the international system as one of competition among groups, particularly
    between owners of wealth and laborers.
    The liberal perspective on the international system

    • Three liberal interpretations: interdependence


    characterization among actors, international society and anarchy

    • States, international governmental institutions,


    Actors nongovernmental organisations, substate actors

    Constraints
    Possibility of change
    • No need for radical change; constant shifting
    as actors are involved in new relationship
    Mingst, K. (1999)

    The realist perspectives on the international system


    Realism is referred to as power theory.
    According to the realist international system is defined by anarchy because there
    is no central government.
    Assumptions
     Survival is the principal goal of every state.
     States are rational
     All states possess military capacity
     Only countries with greater powers can prevail.

    characterization • Anarchic in nature

    Actors • State is primary actor

    Constraints: polarity,
    stratification

    Possibility of change
    • Change is slow, occurs when
    balance of power shifts

    Mingst, K. (1999)
    The Marxist perspective on the international system
    Characterization
    Actors • Highly stratified

    Constraints: capitalism; • Capitalist state vs. less-


    stratification developed states

    • Radical change is desired, but limited


    Possibility of change
    by capitalist structure
    Lecture Seven
    Topic: State and the International System
    The analysis of the international system began with the historical formation of the
    state system.
    • The international system is fragmented into several sovereign states.
    • The sovereign states constitute the international system
    • Westphalia peace treaty of 1648 signaled the birth of the state system
    • The creation of the state saw the redistribution of the state and the
    dissolution of the city-state systems
    • State is a body of people occupying a definite portion of defined territory
    political organized under a government which is sovereignty.
    Theoretical conceptualization of the state
    • The liberal view of the state

    The state is a process, involving contending interest


    The state is a reflection of both governmental
    and societal interests
    The state has multiple and changing
    national interest

    The state has fungible source of power


    •
    The realist view of the state

    The state is an autonomous actor

    Constrained only by the anarchy of


    the international system

    Sovereign

    Guided by a national interest that


    is defined in terms of power

    The Marxist view of the state

    The state is executing agent of


    the bourgeoisie

    Influenced by pressure from


    the capitalist class

    Constrained by the structure of


    the international capitalist system
    Mingst, K. (1999)

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