123 School Work

Outline the principle theories of international politics

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  Introduction
  
  International political theory came about as the by-product of the social scientific approach to the study of international relations. It is argued by political philosophers that the theories developed allow generalisations to be made of political phenomena and not just specific events. Several main theories have developed within the field, the origins of some of which can be traced back to roman times whilst others are contemporary in nature. The theories are intended to be explanatory as opposed to predictions and are designed to provide models of world politics and the behaviour of the actors within it.
  
  Naturally, it would be impossible within the constraints of this paper to address all of the major theories of international relations, therefore the theories of realism, liberalism and finally nationalism shall be discussed. Each of the theories shall be considered in turn with reference to the main writers in each field and also academic criticism. Realist theory shall now be discussed.
  
  Realism
  
  First evident in Thucydides' Peloponnesian War , and developed by subsequent philosophers including Hobbes and Machiavelli, the first of the major schools of thought to be examined in this paper is Realism. In their attempt to explain the workings of international relations, realist writers base their theories on the belief that states are the primary actors within the international political system. This view can be compared with that of Marxist theorists who are of the view that social classes are the most relevant actors...