The Great Debates.ppt

1.Realism vs Liberalism’ (1919-1939) Content and context

2.Traditionalism vs Behaviouralism (1950s & 60s) methodological debate

3. Neorealism vs Neoliberalism (1970s, inter-paradigm)

4. Rationalism vs Reflectivism (1980s, positivism vs post-positivism)

1. THEGREATDEBATES
Prof. RamakrushnaPradhan
Professor of Political Science
Guru GhasidasVishwavidyalaya
(A Central University)
Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh

2. WHATISTHEGREATDEBATE???
IRinbasicsensehaveexistedsinceneighbouringtribesstarted
throwingrocksatortradingwitheachother.
FromthePeloponnesianWar,throughEuropeanpoleistoultimately
nationstates,Realisttrendscanbeobservedbeforethetermexisted.
LikewisetheevolutionofLiberalistthinkingfromtheClassicalBiblical
traditioninthewritingsofSt.AugustinetoEnlightenmentonwards
expresseditselfincallsforabettermorecooperativeworldbefore
findingpracticalapplication–iflittlesuccess–afterTheGreatWar.
Whatdoesthismean?Itmeansvariedworldviewsandconflicting
perspectiveswerealreadythereevenbeforethedisciplineofIR
emergedin1919.
TheseconflictingtheorylikeanySciencehavelaidthefoundationof
IRindefiningitselfandexplainingtheworlditwantedtoexplain.
Contradictorytheories,clashofideasanddisputedworldviews
throughoutthehistoryofIRiscametobeknownasGreatDebates.

3. GREATDEBATESINIR
Althoughdisputed,therearebelievedtohaveatleast
fourgreatdebatesinIR.
1.RealismvsLiberalism’(1919-1939)Contentand
context
2.TraditionalismvsBehaviouralism(1950s&60s)
methodologicaldebate
3.NeorealismvsNeoliberalism(1970s,inter-
paradigm)
4.RationalismvsReflectivism(1980s,positivismvs
post-positivism)

4. REALISMVSLIBERALISM
Historical Context
Realism:RegardingRealism,throughouthistoryvariousactorshave
followedthepathofself-interest,powerprojectionandconflict.
ThucydideschronicledAthens’zero-sumwarwithSpartafrom431-404BC,
whilecenturieslaterMachiavellinotedthat‘‘thefirstwaytowinastateisto
beskilledintheartofwar’’(1999,p.47).
ThomasHobbes’Leviathan,suggestedthatahegemonicpowerwas
requiredtoimposeorder,ensuringman’ssurvivalandsecurityand
protectinghimfromhisnature,thatofwarandpower(Bull1981,p.190).
Leviathanwaspublishedin1651,notlongafterthe1648Peaceof
Westphaliawhich,convenientlyornotisoftenregardedascreatingthe
nationstatesystem,aninternationalenvironmentthatwasconductivetothe
kindsofpower-playsRealistssubscribedto.
TherearevariousfacetstoRealism,yetitscoretenetsremainanadvocacy
oftheprimacyofthesovereignnationstatewhichmustrelyonitsown
poweraccumulationtomaintainitssecurityandthereforesurvival.

5. HISTORICALCONTEXT
Liberalism:
Cosmopolitanismwasamoralandsocio-politicalphilosophyofAncient
Greece,essentiallymaintainingthatallpeople,regardlessofdifference,
weremembersofacommunity.Whilenotidentical,similarLiberalist
sentimentswereadvancedbyEnlightenmentwriters.Manyadvocatedthe
interestsoftheindividualandcalledforstatestobeconductivetothese,
suchasJohnLocke’sespousalofinalienablenaturalrightsandthe
UtilitarianismadvocatedbyJeremyBentham(ViottiandKauppi1999,p.
201),whoalsowrotemuchonjudicialreformandinternationallaw.
ImmanuelKantbelievedthat‘‘acosmopolitanwhole,i.e.asystemofall
states’’(Höffe2006,p.136)couldeventuallyestablishaperpetualpeace.
Theseareverybasicsummationsoftheirproposals,andtherewere
differencesbetweenthem,yetthishighlightsagradualevolutioninproto-
Liberalistthinking,withtheseprinciplesandotherscoalescinginto
advocatingcooperativeapproachesbetweenstatesandthebringingoforder
totheanarchicalinternationalsystemforthebenefitofhumanrights,law,
justiceandeconomies.

6. REALISMVSLIBERALISM
ThecarnageoftheFirstWorldWarwasprincipally
responsiblefortheupsurgeinLiberalistthinking.With
WoodrowWilsonatthevanguard,thebeliefthatconflict
couldbetamedandeventuallyvanquishedthrough
institutionalorderwasappliedwiththecreationofthe
LeagueofNations.Asambitiousasitwasill-fated,the
Leaguewasimmediatelyunderminedbythefailureofthe
Americanlegislaturetoratifyparticipationinan
organisationthatatleastduringitsformativeyears
enjoyedconsiderablepublicsupport(Knock1992,p.
239).

7. GREATDEBATE-II:
TRADITIONALISMVSBEHAVIOURALISM
AlsoknownasHistoricismandScientism
Developedin1960s.Itisessentiallya‘Methodological’debaterevolving
aroundthebeliefofBehaviouraliststhatIRcouldonlyadvanceitselfby
applyingthemethodsofnaturalistscience.Theybelievedthatthefieldwas
toodominatedbyhistorians,whotheylabelledasTraditionalists(or
Classicists).
OntheotherhandClassicistsviewthatIRshouldbedevelopedthrough
moreinterpretivehistoricistmethods.
Theylunchedaseriesofattackagainstthescientificmethodtopolitics
initiallyE.HCarr(TheTwentyYearsCrisis,1939)employedarguments
againstthescientificmethod
Behaviouralistfocuswasontheobservationofsystemsandthatthose
analyses,andanysubsequenthypothesesand/orimplyingofcausality,
shouldbesubjecttoempiricaltesting,mainlyviafalsification.Thatway
knowledgeinIRcouldbeprogressivelybuiltup,allowingforgreater
intuitionsandprogressintheorydevelopment.