Liberalism vs realism essay

Liberalism vs realism essay

Sep 21,  · Realism vs. Liberalism Essay. September 21, by Essay Writer. Turn Memo 1: In international relations, two theories are mostly employed in analyzing major issues in politics. Realism and idealism are the two major theories. Idealism is a theory that was first supported by the US president after the Second World War Dec 13,  · Realism vs. Liberalism Essay. Turn Memo 1: In international relations, two theories are mostly employed in analyzing major issues in politics. Realism and idealism are the two major theories. Idealism is a theory that was first supported by the US president after the Second World War Sep 04,  · There are a number of differences between these two schools of thought. To begin, unlike political realism, which views the state as the primary actor, liberalism/pluralism sees non-state actors as highly important in the international system. Liberals disagree with realism/political realism about the sole importance of the state

Comparison between Theories: Realism vs. Liberalism - Words | Research Paper Example

Liberalism and realism are among the theories that are commonly used in political science in explaining the relations between players in the international political scene. The assumptions of the two theories contradict each other. We will write a custom Research Paper on Comparison between Theories: Realism vs. While realism is taken to portray pessimism in the relations between states in the international system, liberalism depicts optimism and positivism in as far as the relations and goals of states in the international system are concerned.

Realism depicts competition in the relations between states. According to the proponents of realism, every action in the relation between states is guided by the urge to pursue and promote the interests of a given nation state. Nation states act to safeguard their interest, which implies that the action of any state is geared towards safeguarding the interest of that state.

They care less about the interests of other nation states. On the other hand, liberalism depicts a change in the international scene that aims to enhance interaction between liberalism vs realism essay states in various aspects of development.

Liberalism depicts optimism in the domestic and international affairs. Liberalism as a philosophy in political economics focuses on the change in policies and legislation in order to promote the development of nation states. Liberalism concerns the search for a means of embracing freedom and openness in the participation of nations in political, liberalism vs realism essay, social and economic affairs.

There exist a substantial number of theories that seek to explore the concept of power in domestic and international relations.

Power is one of the key concepts that dictate the relation between states on the international system. Liberalism and realism are two key theories that depict two pictures that coexist, yet they are different in theory. Realism and liberalism differ in the manner in which they depict power in the relation between actors on the domestic and international scene. One critical thing about realism and liberalism is that they confide and believe in the need for power by actors Lukes However, there is a difference in the manner in which the two theories expresses the channels of pursuing power by the actors, liberalism vs realism essay.

According to Wechslerrealism is a theory that is two dimensional. The theory was advanced in the mid of the 20 th century by Hans Morgenthau. The development period of this theory is critical to understanding the dimension of the theory in explaining the concept of power. The theory was developed at a time when the world was witnessing a vacuum in the balance of power, which was created by the Second World War. Realism can be comprehended from the 19 th century European politics where power was one of the main issues that brought about conflict between European nations.

The 19 th century Europe was characterized by numerous wars and territorial conquests. These developments entered the 20 th century and developed through the mid of the 20 th century. The balance of power was the key center of friction between the United States and the Soviet Union during the cold war.

The current political developments in international relations, therefore, cannot be separated from the concept of power Lukes, Realism, which is confounded on the antecedents of power by the states, is quite pessimistic when it comes to the issue of power modalities by states. This is backed by the contemporary developments in the international political economy, where each actor uses various tools to consolidate power.

Realism believes that power is strongly founded in military dominance of a given state over other states. The acquisition, exercise and consolidation of military power is the main goal of states, thus most of the actions in relations between states justify the search for power and the need to increase power of states. According to realism, the recent wars that have been waged by the United States on other states, for example the US war on Iraq and the US war in Afghanistan are forms of actions that portray power through military dominance Lukes, liberalism vs realism essay, The struggle for power and subsequently war are brought about by the search for power, which is the core dilemma of realism.

There are a number of developments that have emerged in international politics, which seem to draw away the linear view about the interest of states. Global politics can no longer be solely explained by basing on a single attribute of power as opined by the proponents of realism Williams, Realistic schools of thought that seek to broaden the attributes of power in international politics include neo-realism, liberalism vs realism essay, which tries to depict the international system as an interactive system where power is not solely based on military dominance as opined by the realism school of thinkers.

However, the status of anarchy as opined by realists cannot be completely wished away in as liberalism vs realism essay as sovereignty continues to be one of the main pillars that define a state. On the other hand, liberalists approach the concept of power from an optimistic point of view. They explain power in terms of the diverse activities that takes place in the interaction among states. Unlike the scope with which power is comprehended by liberalism vs realism essay, liberalism expands the scale of comprehension of power.

According to the liberalists, power includes other aspects like trade, cultural interaction and cooperate advancements, among numerous other interactions. States obtain power through other means rather than military dominance. According to liberalism, the power is embedded in what is referred to as the loci of power. This implies that power is gained from different sources and not just only military action, liberalism vs realism essay. Liberalism embraces openness in the relations between states, liberalism vs realism essay gives states a chance to prosper in the social and economic realms.

Nation states today compete in other fields apart from military power. This is spearheaded by the efforts of governments and international bodies, which see the creation of a favorable environment for the advancement of economic and social interaction. There is an increase in social and economic cooperation between states today. A substantial number of countries in the world today have gained power through the pursuance of economic goals.

Such countries are said to have taken advantage of the open international markets to advance trade. Examples of such countries are found in the South East Asian region. The basis of the power of these countries is the ability to advance in trade and economics. It can, therefore, be said that there is an agreement liberalism vs realism essay the issue of the exercise of power between the realism and liberalism. The international system is best understood through the exploration of the systems theory.

According to this theory, the international system is comprised of actors; states. The interaction between states is controlled by the interests of states. Both realists and liberalists present their arguments concerning the nature of the relations that take place in the international systems.

Such actions are fostered by the interests of states and the approach that is taken by each state when relating to other states in the international system. Realism embraces anarchism in as far as the definition of the international system is concerned.

The main actors in the international system are states. Realists believe that the states are independent actors, liberalism vs realism essay act to protect their interests through the application of rationality. As they interact, each state seeks to attain a survival position. This justifies the question of interest in the relations between states in the international system Waltz, The role of other players is drawn away by realists. However, liberalism vs realism essay, the contemporary theoretical development depicts the advancement of the complex systems theory, which appreciates the existence of other actors in the international system.

While other liberalism vs realism essay are drawn into the international system, they do not depict a significant change in the comprehension of the international system by realists.

Realists believe that the other actors in the international system, in as much as they claim to be independent, act to safeguard and promote the interests of states in the international system. The development of other actors like the international bodies is done by states. States are guided by interests when fostering the establishment of international organizations.

An example is the United Nations, which is often seen by a substantial liberalism vs realism essay of anti-western states as a tool for promoting the interests of the United States and other western allies Harrison, When it comes to the concept of the international system, liberalism seems to differ with realism in terms of what is seen to be the actors in the international system.

According to liberalism, the international system is comprised of a large number of actors, thus nation states are just actors in the international system Harrison, Liberalism attempts to bring out the functional differentiation of the actors in the international system. Value is given to each actor in the international system. This differs with realism, which attributes the functions of the non-state actors to the liberalism vs realism essay that is drawn from the states. One thing that can be noted in the contemporary international system is that the non-state actors are quite critical in the international system Sørensen, Examples are the World Organization, which plays a critical role in liberating the global trading environment.

The role of a body like the United Nations Organization can no longer be overemphasized Harrison, However, the issue of liberalism vs realism essay and control in the international system is the main undoing factor in the advancement of liberalism arguments. The question that is often asked concerns the level at which the international actors can be detached from the states. It is evident that power and control of most of the non-state actors is controlled by states.

This implies the influence of the US on the organization Ekeli, International politics: Power and purpose in global affairs. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Ekeli, K. Liberalism and permissible suppression of illiberal ideas. Inquiry, liberalism vs realism essay, liberalism vs realism essay 2 Jackson, R, liberalism vs realism essay. Introduction to international relations: Theories and approaches.

Oxford: Oxford Univ. Lukes, liberalism vs realism essay, S. Power and the battle for hearts and Minds. Millennium — Journal of International Studies, 33 3 Sørensen, G. Liberalism of restraint and liberalism of imposition: Liberal values and world order in the new millennium. Waltz, K. Structural Realism after the Cold War. International Security, 25 1 Wechsler, W.

Comparing Liberalism and Realism

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Sep 21,  · Realism vs. Liberalism Essay. September 21, by Essay Writer. Turn Memo 1: In international relations, two theories are mostly employed in analyzing major issues in politics. Realism and idealism are the two major theories. Idealism is a theory that was first supported by the US president after the Second World War Sep 04,  · There are a number of differences between these two schools of thought. To begin, unlike political realism, which views the state as the primary actor, liberalism/pluralism sees non-state actors as highly important in the international system. Liberals disagree with realism/political realism about the sole importance of the state Mar 21,  · Liberalism vs Realism - A Comparison. ESSAY PRACTICE. The theories that this essay will look at are realism and liberalism. These two theories are notorious for their contrary nature in regards to their main ideologies in relation to politics, specifically the role of the state, power and human nature