Approaches To International Relations

Chapter Summary

I. THINKING THEORETICALLY

 Historically, international activities were the results of

actions taken by central governments, but this is changing
in the world of today. Increasingly, these activities involve
different actors.
 International relations is the study of the interactions
among the various actors that participate in international
politics, including states, international organizations,
nongovernmental organizations, subnational entities, and
individuals.
 Political scientists develop theories or frameworks, both to
understand the causes of events that occur in international
relations and to answer the foundational questions in the
field.
 Realism posits that states exist in an anarchic international
system.
o Each state bases its policies on an interpretation of
national interest defined in terms of power.
o The structure of the international system is
determined by the distribution of power.
 Liberalism argues that humans form states that generally
cooperate and follow international norms and procedures.
 Radical theory is rooted in economics: actions of
individuals are determined by their social class.
 Constructivists argue that the key structures are
intersubjective and social.

II. DEVELOPING THE ANSWERS

 Answers are often found in history.

 o History invites students to acquire detailed
knowledge of specific events, but also to use these
events to test generalizations.
 We can also deduce answers from classical and modern
philosophy.
o The philosopher Plato explored ideas about the
perfect state.
o Thomas Hobbes imagined a state of nature when
men ruled by passions, living in constant
uncertainty.
o Kant envisioned a federation of states as a means to
universal peace.
 History and philosophy permit us to delve into the
foundational questions and to speculate
on normativeelements in political life.
 Behavioralism proposes that individuals act in patterned
ways and seek to empirically test plausible hypotheses
about individual behavior.
o The methods of behavioralism are not an end unto
themselves, only a means to improve explanation.
 Some international relations scholars are dissatisfied with
these approaches.
o Postmodernists seek to deconstruct the basic
concepts of the field such as state, nation, rationality,
and so on.
o Constructivists have used discourse analysis to
answer the questions that are posed.
 No question can be answered with reliance on only one
method

III. IN SUM: MAKING SENSE OF INTERNATIONAL

RELATIONS
 International relations is a pluralistic discipline, turning to
disciplines such as history, philosophy, behavioral
psychology, and so on.