Core module IR Seminars
Seminar 1: Perennial debates: Realism vs Idealism
Mearsheimer’s argument:
- Russia’s security interests were threatened → We should not have provoked Russia
- Putin follows incentives derived from state interests
- NATO/US/EU deviated from this
- Result = War
Pepinsky:
- Russia is not a great power → It is a declining power → Only claims global power status
- Cold War → USSR disintegrated & former allies joined NATO (Russia lost & West won)
- It is not NATO’s responsibility to protect Russia’s security interests
- Russia proclaiming priority over the logic of IR is idealist
- It was a strategic mistake on Russia’s part
- Blames Putin to protect Russia’s declining power
Waltz: Neo-Realism
- Causes of war → 1) Within man
- Men are irrevocably bad
- Man = The root of all evil → He is the root of war
- Wars can end because men can be changed
2) Structure of states
- Different forms of government
- Anarchy
- Absence of central political authority → War
- In the absence of order, there can be no enjoyment of
freedom
3) Structure of the state/international system
- Competition, balance, dominance
- Rosseau: Major causes of war = state system
- Preventive wars: If you do not strike when the moment is
favourable you may be struck later by others
Acharya:
Central question: Why is there no non-Western IR theory?
- Proposes a new Global IR → Greater inclusiveness and diversity in the discipline
- Recognises voices, experiences & values of all people
- Not only Western history → Not just West and the Rest
- Urges to rethink assumptions of theories
- Less territorially based → Encompass a range of actors and issues
- Leave exceptionalism behind → Tendency to present characteristics of a group as
homogeneous and superior
, Seminar 2: Realism vs Liberalism vs Marxism
● How should we conceptualise US hegemony?
○ Different views:
1) Dominance in material capabilities
- Economically, politically, militarily…
- Neorealist view
2) Liberalism & institutionalism
- US-led processes post WWII
- Had a big role in the creation of institutions
- IMF, NATO, WB
3) Acceptance of norms
- Democracy & free market capitalism
- Promoted by the US
Cox: Problem-solving vs critical theory
● Problem-solving theory:
○ Assumes existing order
- Takes the world as it finds it
- The world needs to function within this order
○ Goal: Optimal functioning of the existing order
- Fix problems within the order so the system runs smoothly
- Keeps things running how it has been
○ Ahistoric
- Focus on the present
○ Dominant in times of stability
● Critical theory: → Regarded as Marxist
○ Problematises existing order
- Criticises assumptions
- Questions who profits or is left outside of this → Haves vs have nots
○ Purpose
- Understanding how existing order was created
○ Deals with a changing reality
- Dynamic not static
- Therefore it must continually adjust concepts
○ History is important
- Concerned with the past & continuing historical change
- Look at development in society
○ Appears in times of uncertainty
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller smahd. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $7.96. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
