APPROACHES TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

INTRODUCTION

International Relations (IR) is a crucial sub-discipline of Political Science concerned with the analysis of past and present global orders, and the theoretical tools used to predict or shape future events. These approaches are not neutral or universally accepted — each is embedded with ideological assumptions, and their utility depends on historical context, global power shifts, and academic relevance.

1. IDEALISM / LIBERALISM

Overview:

Idealism emerged post-WWI, emphasizing cooperation, moral values, peace, and international law. It assumes human nature is inherently good and rational, believing that democracy and global institutions can prevent war.

Key Features:

• Emphasizes moral values, rule of law, and international institutions
• Focuses on cooperation over conflict
• Believes states are rational and peace-seeking actors
• Supports a mixed-actor model beyond just states (e.g., NGOs, IGOs)

Key Concepts:

• Universal Peace – (Immanuel Kant)
• Multilateralism – engagement through institutions and diplomacy
• The Great Illusion – (Norman Angell) war yields no real winners
• Complex Interdependence – (Joseph Nye)
• Democratic Peace Theory – (Michael Doyle)
• Collective Security – League of Nations, UN Charter

Thinkers:

Woodrow Wilson, Immanuel Kant, Norman Angell, Alfred Zimmern, Philip Noel-Baker, Joseph Nye, Michael Doyle, Mahatma Gandhi, Arnold Toynbee

2. REALISM / CLASSICAL REALISM

Overview:

Realism arose between the World Wars as a critique of idealism. It views international politics as a power struggle driven by self-interest and an anarchic global system.

Key Features:

• State-centric and power-driven
• Assumes human nature is selfish
• International system is anarchic — no overarching authority
• Priority to national interest and security

Key Concepts:

• State Egoism – (Thucydides, Hobbes)
• Statecraft & National Interest – (Machiavelli, Morgenthau)
• Balance of Power
• Security Dilemma
• Arms Race – internal and external balancing

Thinkers:

E. H. Carr, Hans Morgenthau, Thucydides, Hobbes, Machiavelli, Max Weber, George Kennan, Henry Kissinger

3. STRUCTURAL MARXISM / NEO-MARXISM

Overview:

Marxist approaches view IR through the lens of global capitalism, exploitation, and class struggle. It critiques the liberal and realist status quo, focusing on inequality and dependency between core (rich) and periphery (poor) nations.

Key Features:

• Emphasizes class conflict and economic exploitation
• IR is shaped by capitalist world system
• Views institutions like WTO/IMF as tools of neo-colonialism

Key Concepts:

• Neo-Colonialism – (Kwame Nkrumah)
• Dependency Theory – (A.G. Frank, Samir Amin)
• World System Theory – (Immanuel Wallerstein)
  • Core, Semi-Periphery, Periphery

Thinkers:

Karl Marx (influence), Kwame Nkrumah, Samir Amin, Immanuel Wallerstein, A. G. Frank

4. NEO-LIBERALISM / NEO-LIBERAL INSTITUTIONALISM

Overview:

Developed as a response to realism, neoliberalism accepts anarchy but emphasizes the role of institutions, interdependence, and economic cooperation in reducing conflict.

Key Features:

• Belief in institutions mitigating anarchy
• Promotes free trade, global governance, regional blocs
• Cooperation is rational and beneficial

Key Concepts:

• Neo-Liberal Institutionalism – (Robert Keohane)
• Complex Interdependence – (Keohane & Nye)
• Regional Trade Blocs – EU, ASEAN
• Hegemonic Stability Theory – (Charles Kindleberger, Robert Gilpin)

Thinkers:

Robert Keohane, Joseph Nye, Charles Kindleberger, Robert Axelrod

5. NEO-REALISM / STRUCTURAL REALISM

Overview:

Kenneth Waltz refined classical realism by emphasizing the structure of the international system — particularly anarchy and polarity — over human nature.

Key Features:

• Focus on system-level analysis rather than human nature
• Emphasizes polarity (unipolarity, bipolarity, multipolarity)
• Assumes self-help system in absence of global authority

Key Concepts:

• Anarchy and Self-Help
• Defensive Realism – (Kenneth Waltz) states aim for security maximization
• Offensive Realism – (John Mearsheimer) states pursue power maximization
• Bipolar Stability – Bipolar systems (e.g., Cold War) are more stable

Thinkers:

Kenneth Waltz, John Mearsheimer, Stephen Walt

Conclusion:

Each approach to International Relations reflects a different lens for understanding the complex, often chaotic world of global politics. No single theory provides all the answers — but collectively, they offer a toolkit for scholars and policymakers to decode war, peace, cooperation, and power.