International Relations Theory Practice Flashcards

International Relations Theory

Analytical lenses or toolkits that allow us to simplify and understand a complicated world by focusing on specific variables like states, organizations, economics, or gender.

Paradigm Shift

A process identified by Thomas Kuhn where a significant discovery takes place, leading humans to discard a prior belief and replace it with a new way of thinking.

Realism

A school of thought in IR that emphasizes the competitive and conflictual side of international relations, grounded in the belief that human nature is egoistic and power-seeking.

Anarchy

The absence of a central authority or a sovereign in charge of the world, leading to a system where disorder and fear often rule international relations.

Ethics of Responsibility

An idea stressed by Niccolò Machiavelli in 'The Prince' ($1532$) that rulers should be good when they can but must be willing to use violence when necessary to guarantee the survival of the state.

Neorealism (Structural Realism)

A modernization of realist theory by Kenneth Waltz ($1979$) that focuses on how states are constrained by the international anarchic structure and their relative power rather than human nature.

Balance of Power

A strategy where states make choices to increase their own capabilities while undermining others to ensure no single state becomes too powerful within the international system.

Liberalism

A theory based on the moral argument that ensuring the right of an individual person to life, liberty, and property is the highest goal of government.

Democratic Peace Theory

A branch of liberalism which posits that democracies are highly unlikely to go to war with one another due to internal restraints and shared legitimacy.

Neoliberal Institutionalism

A theory focusing on how international organizations foster cooperation by helping states overcome the incentive to defect from agreements through monitoring and transparency.

Absolute Gains

A general increase in welfare for all parties involved in an agreement, which liberals argue states care more about than measuring their welfare relative to others.

International Society

A concept from the English School where a group of states conceive themselves to be bound by a common set of rules and share in the working of common institutions.

Standard of Civilisation

A historical requirement used by European states to judge whether non-European political entities were 'civilized' enough to be admitted into the international society.

Solidarism