What Is Significant About Developments in Post-Cold War Ir Theory?

Post-Modernsism is a very important and essential theory that has been brought about to the study of international relations. It falls under the category of post-positivism, which is a rejection of positivism in the sense that it dismisses the notion that international relations can be observed in an objective manner. Other theories encompassed in the post-positivism umbrella include constructivism, neo-marxism, critical theory, feminism, and post-colonialism (Burchill 2013). Post-Modernism also brought about new perspectives to international relations, these include: arbitrary nature of modernity, choice posing as truth, reality as a social construction, the rejection of positivism, the crisis of modernity, loss of confidence in the authority of the grand narratives, its relation to language, and the process of identity construction. Also, notably, Post-Modernism may receive criticism from constructivism and realism, but ultimately arguments for Post-Modernism will make more logical sense within the international relations arena. Lastly, Post-Modernism is essential because of it’s unique views in ideas such as language, abstract views, etc., to better understand political activity within the international relations community.

An example of the relevance of liberalism would be the United Nations, a global organization, which was developed for the intent of maintaining world peace. Anne-Marie Slaughter states that the world will be multilateral in the future because of the UN’s expansion. Liberalists would also say because of institutions such as the UN, states are more concerned with relative gains than absolute gains. Today, in the occurrence of a crisis, states

This essay will address why the three main approaches to world politics did not predict the end of the Cold War. Firstly it will briefly give a background insight into what the Cold War was. Then it will go on to explain what characterises the three main approaches to world politics which are Realism, Pluralism and Structuralism, it then will briefly look at the distinctive theory behind them. Lastly the essay will analyse whether or not the three main approaches could have predicted and anticipated the end of the Cold War.

Since International Relations has been academically studied Realism has been the dominant theory of world politics. The theory’s inability to explain the end of the Cold War, however, brought strength and momentum to the Liberalism theory. Today Realism and Liberalism are the two major paradigms of International Relations. The aforementioned theories focus on the international system and the external factors that can lead to two phenomena - conflict and cooperation. Realism believes that as a result of anarchy and the security dilemma, conflict is inevitable. Liberalism argues that this conflict can be overcome through cooperative activities amongst states and international organizations. This paper will explore as well as compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of both theories. It will also debate which of the two theories is more valuable in the

After December 26 1991, when the Soviet Union fell, the bipolarity of the international system was effaced. In the post- Cold War era, the United States faced the problem, without a defined enemy, to adopt a new foreign policy. To begin to analyze the political foreign policy of the United States, one must first understand the international system. According to Political Realism, a theory of international thought, the state is the key unit within the acts within the system. These states act according to their key norms, which are allowed by the system. However, these sates are also affected the domestic and external factors which control how they act. The domestic factors include political culture, their economic system, the leadership

Realism and Liberalism is one of the most important theoretical approaches to the study of international studies. As for realism, it has been argue that realism is not just a simple perspective, as it is actually a complex area of debate rather than just single specific of point. In Realism, we can identify such classic and specific versions, some realist who call themselves as neo-realist or structural realist, and so on. As for Liberalism, its history goes back to when the scholars tried to come up with a new theory that could end the despair of the First World War. Liberalism starts to take up the world politics after the fall of Idealism after the Second World War as they have more pessimistic view of the world politics. Both of these theories

When trying to comprehend international politics, current events, or historical context, having a firm grasp on the various international relations theories is essential to understanding patterns when looking at interstate affairs. Realism, liberalism, constructivism, and marxist radical theory are used to provide a framework by which we can dissect international relations.

Realism, as a way of interpreting international relations has often been conceived to be closely tied to the Cold War. Realism, rooted in the experience of World War II and the Cold War, is said to be undergoing a crisis of confidence largely because the lessons adduced do not convincingly apply directly to the new realities of international relations in the twenty-first century (Clinton 2007:1) Worse still, if policymakers steadfastly adhere to realist precepts, they will have to navigate “the unchartered seas of the post-Cold War disorder with a Cold War cartography, and blind devotion to realism could compromise their ability to prescribe paths to a more orderly and just system.” (Kegley 1993:141). This paper will demonstrate that

To define any perspective in International Relations, one must understand its’ origin and primary authors, including the context in which they were writing in. Liberalism is one of the more loosely defined perspectives as it has had a number of authors throughout history. Primarily, liberalism relies on the positive aspects of human nature. One of the most prominent liberal authors was Kant- who often wrote of the anarchical nature of international relations- referring to it as “the lawless state of savagery.” He also wrote of three primary routes to obtaining peace within this system, namely treating all aspects of human life with humanity, allowing for a federation of states and

Liberalism was an important concept but it also lost some of its importance in order to emerge as a new form. In the today’s world hardly any one speaks for the freedom and democracy

In examining Kenneth Waltz 's “Structural Realism after the Cold War,”1 and Andrew Moravcsik 's “Taking Preferences Seriously: A Liberal Theory of International Politics,”2 it is clear that theories presented in each (Realism and Liberalism) are at odds with one another in many ways. But why did the authors reach the conclusions they did about the way that states behave in the international system? This paper seeks to answer that question.

Since the post-World War 1 period, Liberalism has been actively advanced by Western (or 'first-world') states as a desirable system of political theory. According to Dunne (in Baylis & Smith 2001, pp. 163), the basis for its appeal stems from the fact that Liberalism is viewed as inherently 'optimistic', making it a natural counter-theory to the Realist theories advanced by practitioners of realpolitik in the past (feudalism, dictatorships etc.). What makes Liberalism 'optimistic' in a sense is that, as an ideology, it is fundamentally anchored around the liberty of the individual, and furthermore, strives for global peace. Considering the rampant destruction and bloodshed experienced by many of the states involved in both the World Wars,

Liberalism is……………………………………., first liberal was Johan Locke who was ‎liberal in the 17th century. Liberalist have optimistic conceive of human nature. They ‎also identified that every person is self-interested and even combative.Liberlists ‎disagreed with the statement that conflict and warfare are unavoidable.‎‏"‏Conflict and ‎war are not inevitable; when people employ their reason they can achieve mutually ‎beneficial cooperation not only within states but also across international ‎boundaries‏"‏‎ Jackson &Sorensen,( 2010, p.97) . What is more it that , the basic ‎

In the 1990s, when other fields failed to predict some major events of the twentieth century, including the struggle to decolonise, post-colonialism entered the field of International Relations. Postcolonialism can be surmised as the theory of International Relations which uses the effect of colonialism to describe the conditions of countries today, with a focus on personal information from its peoples. 'Post-colonial' refers to the analysis of colonialism and anti-colonialism. 'Postcolonial' is used to indicate the analysing of the current era of International Relations as the postcolonial era. The relevance of postcolonial theory for the study of International Relations will be discussed and analysed.

Neo-Realism and Neo-Liberalism, two of the most influential contemporary approaches to international relations, although similar in some respects, differ multitudinously. Thus, this essay will argue it is inaccurate to claim that Neo-Realism and Neo-Liberalism have far more similarities than differences. By contrast, it will contend that there are in fact more of the latter than there are of the former, on issues such as the nature and consequences of anarchy, the achievement of international cooperation, and the role of international institutions. Moreover, it will be structured in such a way so as to corroborate this line of argument. In practice, that is to say, this essay will first of all define what is meant by Neo-Realism and Neo-Liberalism.