International Relations Grand Debates University of Helsinki, Department of Political Science, Fall 2003 Christer Pursiainen For downloading the Power.

International Relations Grand Debates

University of Helsinki, Department of Political University of Helsinki, Department of Political Science, Fall 2003Science, Fall 2003

Christer PursiainenChrister PursiainenFor downloading the Power Point For downloading the Power Point

presentation, go to:presentation, go to:

www.kolumbus.fi/christer.pursiainenwww.kolumbus.fi/christer.pursiainen

teachingteaching

Contents

1.1. Development of the DisciplineDevelopment of the Discipline

2.2. Idealism vs. RealismIdealism vs. Realism

3.3. Traditionalism vs. ScientismTraditionalism vs. Scientism

4.4. Realism vs. Liberalism vs. MarxismRealism vs. Liberalism vs. Marxism

5.5. Neorealism vs. Institutionalism vs. Neorealism vs. Institutionalism vs. ConstructivismConstructivism

1. Development of the Discipline

EconomicsEconomics StrategyStrategy History Philosophy International Law History Philosophy International LawThucydidesThucydides AquinasAquinas

16th16th17th 17th MachiavelliMachiavelli Grotius Grotius

18th18th SmithSmith

19th 19th MarxMarx Clausewitz Clausewitz Rousseau KantRousseau Kant20th Imperialism theories History of Diplomacy20th Imperialism theories History of DiplomacyGeography GeopoliticsGeography GeopoliticsWWIWWI The birth of the disciplineThe birth of the discipline1920-30s1920-30s IDEALISMIDEALISMWWIIWWII REALISMREALISM Traditionalism Traditionalism First DebateFirst Debate1950s1950s FunctionalismFunctionalismNatural sciencesNatural sciences SCIENTISM (Behavioralism, FPA) SCIENTISM (Behavioralism, FPA) Second DebateSecond Debate1960s Peace research Realism revisited1960s Peace research Realism revisited Third DebateThird Debate1970s1970s Dependency (Marxism)Dependency (Marxism) NEOREALISMNEOREALISM LIBERALISM LIBERALISM 1980s Critical theory Rationalism1980s Critical theory Rationalism INSTITUTIONALISMINSTITUTIONALISMHumanitiesHumanities FeminismFeminism Fourth Fourth

debatedebate1990s1990s Postmodernism Postmodernism CONSTRUCTIVISMCONSTRUCTIVISM2000s2000s PostructuralismPostructuralism Developed Game theory Developed Game theory Fifth Debate?Fifth Debate?

2. Idealism vs. Realism

IDEALISM:IDEALISM: WWI WWI How to avoid major wars How to avoid major wars

peaceful changes instead of changes peaceful changes instead of changes through warthrough war

international lawinternational law League of NationsLeague of Nations

2. Idealism vs. Realism

REALISM:REALISM: international relations should not be studied on international relations should not be studied on

the basis how they should be but how they arethe basis how they should be but how they are politics is governed by objective lawspolitics is governed by objective laws the roots of those laws lie in the human naturethe roots of those laws lie in the human nature the laws are objective because human nature the laws are objective because human nature

does not change in the course of timesdoes not change in the course of times

2. Idealism vs. Realism

REALISM:REALISM: we can distinguish between the ’economic we can distinguish between the ’economic

person’, the ’religious person’, the ’moral person’, the ’religious person’, the ’moral person’, the ’political person’ etc.person’, the ’political person’ etc.

in order to understand politics, we must in order to understand politics, we must study only the ’political person’study only the ’political person’

we should study the political actions of a we should study the political actions of a statesman (as a synonym of a state)statesman (as a synonym of a state)

2. Idealism vs. Realism

REALISM:REALISM: the the theorytheory of political realism is based on of political realism is based on

the idea of a rational actorthe idea of a rational actor we should compare the real events to this we should compare the real events to this

ideal, normative pictureideal, normative picture

2. Idealism vs. Realism

REALISM:REALISM: the behaviour of a political person in social the behaviour of a political person in social

context is based on context is based on powerpower maintenance of power; strengthening of maintenance of power; strengthening of

power; demonstration of powerpower; demonstration of power

2. Idealism vs. Realism

REALISM:REALISM: power does not mean only physical or power does not mean only physical or

military power, but refers to all kind of military power, but refers to all kind of control over the minds and actions of other control over the minds and actions of other individualsindividuals

power is important, because whatever power is important, because whatever interests or goals we have, in order to interests or goals we have, in order to achieve them in politics this brings the achieve them in politics this brings the desire to control the actions of othersdesire to control the actions of others

3. Traditionalism vs. Scientism

TRADITIONALISM:TRADITIONALISM: Realism, historical approaches etc.Realism, historical approaches etc. understanding politics requires historically understanding politics requires historically

based wisdom rather than data-based based wisdom rather than data-based models or mechanistic theoriesmodels or mechanistic theories

3. Traditionalism vs. Scientism

SCIENTISM (Behavioralism):SCIENTISM (Behavioralism): ””Scientific Study of international relations”Scientific Study of international relations” no a priori theories no a priori theories hypotheseshypothesesobservable dataobservable data

regularities/correlationsregularities/correlations theory/model theory/model graphic or mathematic modelsgraphic or mathematic models Foreign Policy Analysis (foreign policy Foreign Policy Analysis (foreign policy

models)models)

4. Realism vs. Liberalism vs. Marxism

REALISM slightly revisited:REALISM slightly revisited: more ”scientific” methods, models, more ”scientific” methods, models,

classificationsclassifications state as an actor, less focus on ’human state as an actor, less focus on ’human

nature’nature’ realism as a theory of balance of powerrealism as a theory of balance of power

4. Realism vs. Liberalism vs. Marxism

LIBERALISM:LIBERALISM: ””complex interdependece”:complex interdependece”: a) societies are connected not only by a) societies are connected not only by

interstate relations but transgovernmental interstate relations but transgovernmental and transnational relations as welland transnational relations as well

4. Realism vs. Liberalism vs. Marxism

LIBERALISM:LIBERALISM: b) there is no hierarchy between issue areas, i.e., b) there is no hierarchy between issue areas, i.e.,

military security does not dominate other issuesmilitary security does not dominate other issues c) where complex interdependence prevails, c) where complex interdependence prevails,

military power is ineffective and irrelevant to military power is ineffective and irrelevant to resolve disagreementsresolve disagreements

d) international organisations important in d) international organisations important in setting the agenda and inducing coalition setting the agenda and inducing coalition formationformation

4. Realism vs. Liberalism vs. Marxism

MARXISM:MARXISM: theories of imperialismtheories of imperialism dependency theoriesdependency theories world system theories; centre-peripheryworld system theories; centre-periphery

5. Neorealism vs. Institutionalism vs. Constructivism

NEOREALISM:NEOREALISM: objective environment: anarchic objective environment: anarchic

structure of international system structure of international system competitive security systemcompetitive security system

states behave rationally according to states behave rationally according to their national interests, since those who their national interests, since those who do not will not survivedo not will not survive

5. Neorealism vs. Institutionalism vs. Constructivism

NEOREALISM:NEOREALISM: zero-sum zero-sum states are calculating states are calculating

relative gainesrelative gaines ’’self-help’ system: cooperation self-help’ system: cooperation

difficult/superficial/temporarydifficult/superficial/temporary

5. Neorealism vs. Institutionalism vs. Constructivism

NEOREALISM:NEOREALISM: security dilemma is always present: security dilemma is always present: a) the unintended decrease in the security of a) the unintended decrease in the security of

others when one state increases its own others when one state increases its own securitysecurity

5. Neorealism vs. Institutionalism vs. Constructivism

NEOREALISM:NEOREALISM: b) the uncertainty of present or future b) the uncertainty of present or future

intentions of other statesintentions of other states c) a state feels insecure if it does not c) a state feels insecure if it does not

act and insecure if it doesact and insecure if it does

5. Neorealism vs. Institutionalism vs. Constructivism

NEOREALISM:NEOREALISM: security dilemma is regulated by balance-security dilemma is regulated by balance-

of-power politicsof-power politics

5. Neorealism vs. Institutionalism vs. Constructivism

INSTITUTIONALISM:INSTITUTIONALISM: Subjective environment: individual security Subjective environment: individual security

systemsystem international institutions can change states’ international institutions can change states’

cost-benefit calculationscost-benefit calculations institutions can help states to overcome institutions can help states to overcome

some relative gain problems and therefore some relative gain problems and therefore states are calculating also absolute gainsstates are calculating also absolute gains

5. Neorealism vs. Institutionalism vs. Constructivism

INSTITUTIONALISM:INSTITUTIONALISM: though we may not completely remove the though we may not completely remove the

security dilemma, it can be mitigated by security dilemma, it can be mitigated by creating interdependence and common creating interdependence and common security regimes, norms and rules, creating security regimes, norms and rules, creating reciprocal relations and positive reciprocal relations and positive expectations of each other’s behaviourexpectations of each other’s behaviour

5. Neorealism vs. Institutionalism vs. Constructivism

CONSTRUCTIVISM:CONSTRUCTIVISM: intersubjective environment: cooperative intersubjective environment: cooperative

security community possiblesecurity community possible agency and structure are interrelated: agency and structure are interrelated:

”anarchy is what states make of it””anarchy is what states make of it”

5. Neorealism vs. Institutionalism vs. Constructivism

CONSTRUCTIVISM:CONSTRUCTIVISM: the security dilemma is often regulated and the security dilemma is often regulated and

sometimes mitigated but it can also be sometimes mitigated but it can also be resolved through changes in identities and resolved through changes in identities and threat perceptionsthreat perceptions

5. Neorealism vs. Institutionalism vs. Constructivism

Self-understanding of the theoriesSelf-understanding of the theories

C INR

-only most important things, like the law of gravity does not explaing the path minimalistic theory

-explains of a leaf in wind

-explains the same as NR + more

-explains the same as NR + I + more

1. Development of the Discipline

EconomicsEconomics StrategyStrategy History Philosophy International Law History Philosophy International LawThucydidesThucydides AquinasAquinas

16th16th17th 17th MachiavelliMachiavelli Grotius Grotius

18th18th SmithSmith

19th 19th MarxMarx Clausewitz Clausewitz Rousseau KantRousseau Kant20th Imperialism theories History of Diplomacy20th Imperialism theories History of DiplomacyGeography GeopoliticsGeography GeopoliticsWWIWWI The birth of the disciplineThe birth of the discipline1920-30s1920-30s IDEALISMIDEALISMWWIIWWII REALISMREALISM Traditionalism Traditionalism First DebateFirst Debate1950s1950s FunctionalismFunctionalismNatural sciencesNatural sciences SCIENTISM (Behavioralism, FPA) SCIENTISM (Behavioralism, FPA) Second DebateSecond Debate1960s Peace research Realism revisited1960s Peace research Realism revisited Third DebateThird Debate1970s1970s DependencyDependency (Marxism) (Marxism) NEOREALISMNEOREALISM LIBERALISM LIBERALISM 1980s Critical theory Rationalism1980s Critical theory Rationalism INSTITUTIONALISMINSTITUTIONALISMHumanitiesHumanities FeminismFeminism Fourth Fourth

debatedebate1990s1990s Postmodernism Postmodernism CONSTRUCTIVISMCONSTRUCTIVISM2000s2000s Fifth Debate?Fifth Debate?

Developed Game Theory Developed Game Theory

1. Development of the Discipline

EconomicsEconomics StrategyStrategy History Philosophy International Law History Philosophy International LawThucydidesThucydides AquinasAquinas

16th16th17th 17th MachiavelliMachiavelli Grotius Grotius

18th18th SmithSmith

19th 19th MarxMarx Clausewitz Clausewitz Rousseau KantRousseau Kant20th Imperialism theories History of Diplomacy20th Imperialism theories History of DiplomacyGeography GeopoliticsGeography GeopoliticsWWIWWI The birth of the disciplineThe birth of the discipline1920-30s1920-30s IDEALISMIDEALISMWWIIWWII REALISMREALISM Traditionalism Traditionalism First DebateFirst Debate1950s1950s FunctionalismFunctionalismNatural sciencesNatural sciences SCIENTISM (Behavioralism, FPA) SCIENTISM (Behavioralism, FPA) Second DebateSecond Debate1960s Peace research Realism revisited1960s Peace research Realism revisited Third DebateThird Debate1970s1970s Dependency (Marxism)Dependency (Marxism) NEOREALISMNEOREALISM LIBERALISM LIBERALISM 1980s Critical theory Rationalism1980s Critical theory Rationalism INSTITUTIONALISMINSTITUTIONALISMHumanitiesHumanities FeminismFeminism Fourth Fourth

debatedebate1990s1990s Postmodernism Postmodernism CONSTRUCTIVISMCONSTRUCTIVISM2000s2000s PostructuralismPostructuralism Developed Game theory Developed Game theory Fifth Debate?Fifth Debate?

International Relations Grand Debates

University of Helsinki, Department of Political University of Helsinki, Department of Political Science, Fall 2003Science, Fall 2003

Christer PursiainenChrister PursiainenFor downloading the Power Point For downloading the Power Point

presentation, go to:presentation, go to:

www.kolumbus.fi/christer.pursiainenwww.kolumbus.fi/christer.pursiainen

teachingteaching