SE-501 REALISM AND IDEALISM: THE PHILOSOPHICAL DIMENSION

OVERVIEW:

The purpose of this lesson is to introduce you to two dominant theoretical traditions of international politics, realism and idealism. Realism is a fairly coherent body of thought reaching back as far as Thucydides. Idealism, on the other hand, comes in many forms. Nationalism, universalism, Marxism, and globalism are examples of different forms idealisms. To avoid confusion, you should focus your attention onto the discussion about globalism because that is the form of idealism we are most concerned with.

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

Forsyth and Widman, Realism and Idealism: The Philosophical Dimension

501.1 Comprehend the realist perspective of international relations.

501.11 Describe the premises of realist thought, namely: states; anarchy; state interests; and power.

States: What we ordinarily call a country; a unitary actor speaking with one voice without dissent. The core interests of the state are security and autonomy. The realists views the world as a competition among states struggling for power within the state system in order to protect security and autonomy. Stated simply, for the realists, no valid authority exists above that of the state. States seek security because there is no overarching authority to prevent others from using violence, or threats of violence, to destroy or enslave them.

Anarchy: The nature of the international system It is, however, important to understand that anarchy does not imply chaos or the complete absence of order and government. Rather, it is the absence of political rule and its accompanying hierarchical authority and subordination.

State Interests: Must be organized hierarchically with security being the dominant interest. The means to ensure security is power.

Power: Fungible and relative.

"Fungibility" refers to the ease with which capabilities in one issue-area can be used in other issue-areas (think of power in terms of money).

"Relative" refers to relative gains whose importance realists consistently stress over absolute gains. Example: East-west arms race.

Realist Bottom Line: Nations will inevitably settle their disputes by war or threats of war acting out of self-interest alone. Realism dominates the study of international relations.

501.2 Comprehend the idealist perspective of international relations.

501.21 Identify various forms of idealism.

Idealism comes in many forms including; nationalism, universalism, Marxism, and globalism. Though many forms of idealistic thought exist, we will focus on globalism because it is this form of idealism that has emerged as a meaningful body of thought to explain and understand certain world events.

501.22 Describe the premises of globalist thought, namely: communities; cooperation; unity; and collective action.

Communities:
Globalists define the world in terms of the world community. They see the world in terms bigger than the state. The ultimate vision of globalists, therefore, is the creation of a global community of states capable of restraining state action and ensuring peace. (Hughes)

Cooperation:
Globalists generally believe cooperation is not only possible, but essential. Cooperation leads to a more productive, prosperous, and stable environment. Realists view gain as relative to other actors. Idealists view gain as absolute. Unlike the realist who sees international politics as a zero-sum gain. the globalists wishes to cooperate for the benefit of all members of the community.

Unity:
Globalists think of unity in terms of building global unity or the global "nation-building" dynamic (Hughes). The ultimate goal of globalism is to build a global community capable of restraining state action and ensuring peace.

Collective Action:
Collective action refers to states working together to solve common global problems. However, collective action also refers to security issues.

501.3 Comprehend emerging trends in the international system (or global issues as we will refer to them) from both the realist and idealist perspectives.

501.31 Give an example of the explanatory power of realist and idealist thought.

Realist argue fragmentationist trends will result in a more conflict ridden world. Essentially, in a world of ever-increasing ethnic and nationalistic tensions, states must be prepared to defend themselves because no one else is prepared to do so. In such a world, realism seems to tell us a lot about international life, and its prescription -- protect self-interests.

Idealist (Globalist) argument for a more cooperative world hinges on understanding the transboundry nature of global issues. For example, because the negative effects of environmental degradation freely crosses international boundaries, solutions to environmental problems require collective action. Collective action demands a relatively high degree of international cooperation. These are integrationist trends. As a result of growing interdependency, leaders are compelled to seek cooperative solutions rather than respond individually to major problems. -- seek collective action.