Global - realists and liberals

Human nature

Realists - human nature is naturally selfish and egoist thus states are interested in their own national interests/ human nature is fixed and driven - can not be changed - states are motivated by desire to dominate/states are motivated by need to survive in global ‘self help’ system

HOBBES - life in state of nature is ‘nasty brutish and short’

HANS MORGENTHAU - ‘the social world is a projection of human nature onto the collective plane’

Liberals - more optimistic view/ human nature is not fixed and states can develop/humans and thus states are committed to individual freedom/ humans and thus states prefer to work in partnership/international Co operation through IGOs is possible and desirable

LOCKE - ‘life, liberty and property’

JD BOWEN ‘the international system creates opportunities for co operation and conflict, and it’s up to the states and other actors in the international political system to either take advantage of those or not

Order, security and likelihood of conflict

Realism - conflict is an unavoidable feature of global politics/ conflict is necessary to defend national interests and to increase state’s power and influence/ defending internal security and stability is crucial - done through well defended boarders and clear and enforced laws/ every state is a potential threat to other states

HOBBES VIEW ON HN ‘nasty brutish and short’ - state of nature selfish

Mearhsimer ‘better to be Godzilla than bambi’

Liberals - conflict is avoidable and efforts should be made to prevents and avoid conflict/ IGOs offer a forum for conflict resolution/ states being bound together in deep economic co op reduces likelihood of them fighting (EU)

LOCKE - state of nature we would collaborate - more optimistic view on human nature

JD BOWEN ‘the international system creates opportunities for co operation and conflict, and it’s up to the states and other actors in the international political system to either take advantage of those or not

Economic development

Realism - focus on their own economic development first and spend gov money on needs of their own population/ states only help other states to develop if this helps to protect or advance their own interests (US aid assistance in afghanistan)/ aid makes states dependent/ debt relief encourages states to mismange their economy

HOBBES HN

HANS MORGENTHAU - ‘the social world is a projection of human nature onto the collective plane

Liberals - developed states have a responsibility to help less developed states - in global interest/ IGOs key role in co ordinating the international community/ aid can empower developing states (microfinance initatives)/ debt relief gives the state the opportunity to invest in their own development

LORD ACTON ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely'

LIBERAL LOCKE

state sovereignty

Realism - states remain the primary and most powerful actors/ soverignty is absolute concept/ state soverignty may be iinfringed upon if national interest requires it (us unauthorisied 2011 operation to assisinate Obama Bin Larden was a necessary intrution into parkistan’s territory)/ states should be wary of giving up too much sovereignty to IGOs

“each states persuades its own interests,however defined, in ways it judges best” - kenneth waltz

HOBBES

Liberals - states have a complex interdependence with other non state actors/spverignty exists to be used to a states advantage not to be protected in a state of isolationalism - may mean pooling sovereignty with other states in an IGO/ state’s soverignty may be infringed if it’s necessary to uphold the values and interests of international community (under R2P)

LOCKE

LLORD ACTON ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely

Responsibility to protect outweigh state soverginty

Realists - only justification for military action against another state is self defense/ states are ‘power maximisers’ - humanitarian iintervention an be used as an excuse to advance state interest - could risk regional or global war/ states do not have the right to risk the lives of their own citizens in conflict that don't concern themselves/ the principle of humanitarian intervention is undermined by being selective

Liberals - ‘moral responsjblity’ to ‘save strangers’ - the internstional community should intvene to save lives/ state soverignty is ‘conditional’/ regional and global stability are threatened if mass murder and human rights are nit ounished/ destabailiaing potential ‘zones of conflict’ can only be reduced if military action is promptly taken to stop humanitarian crosses spiralling out

Regionalism weaken state soveringy

Realists - does weaken especially when there are supranational elements/ economic alliances it could be argued sovereignty is weakened (EU debt crisis) - esl if it involves shared currency/ various moves towards nationalism and isolationalism for states in recent times - seen as a reaction against perceived erosion of sovereignty of IGOs/ regionalism goes hand in hand with intergovernmentalism - IGOs diminish nation states

Liberals - even where there are supra national elements states can maintain their sovereignty and withdraw if they want (EU)/ economic and security regionalism are less likely to weaken (Arab league maintains soverignty)/ pooling sovereignty states can enhance their position - could be in their national interests - tackle issues as mutually beneficial

Power

Realism - primary goal and motivation of states is to feel more secure/ in anarchial world order states can not trust each other and can not rely on other states to help them/ hard power and threats and force are important as most likely to achieve goals

MERSHIMER - ‘Godzilla than bambi’

Liberals - accumalation of power (military) can be counterproductive/ as states are more economically interdependent risk of conflict decreases - makes global system more peaceful/ when power is shares it creates stability/ states are aware of the limit of soft power but may use smart power for intended outcomes/ hard power should be last resort

LORD ACTON ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’