Alexander Wendt Anarchy Theory - Essay Example

116184 Alexander Wendt (1992) wrote his article "Anarchy is What s Make of it" and to a large extent Wendt is right in saying that. One cannot call it an original theory because already earlier theorists had spoken about anarchy starting from Hobbes himself. Recent theorist, Kenneth Waltz, in his article Neo Realism outlined in his book Theory of International Politics (1979) argues that "the world exists in a state of perpetual international anarchy (the lack of an effective central authority over states) as no state can fully trust any other state or completely understand their policies." Every state in the world seems to be having a hidden agenda of its own, with its national and international priorities to meet and this becomes the basis of mutual suspicion. Wendt is more with the realists when they say that the state system is in a state of anarchy and that the states are competing for survival. Theorists agree that Wendt's theory has important implications for the advancement of international politics. "Contrary to neorealism's static materialist structuralism, Wendt's social theory bears on the 'tranformative potential' of international politics. His theory claims to reveal the potential for a more cooperative international relations," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Wendt International Relations is supposed to have started with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, from where the modern system of States emerged and since then, various theories have cropped up. Answering a question why we have to thearise everything, Brown says: "For the majority of theorists in this area, the answer is clear - explain in order to predict, predict in order to control, or if control is impossible, then at least to minimise the consequences of undesirable states of affairs and take advantage of whatever opportunities exist," (Brown, 2002, p.12). International Relations Theories provide a conceptual model for analysis of International Relations and there are many theories as listed below: REALISM This word comes from the German word, realpolitic meaning foreign policy based on practical concerns, and the word attained its credence because of Bismarck. This theory assumes that the States themselves are the actors, and these individual actors are influenced by the structure of international anarchy. It is also assumed that World politics is a voluntarily self-helping system and each state is interested in its own national interest and there is always conflict between one state and another. Its one more assumption is that diplomacy is not for solving the problems, but to serve national interests and the main instrument of success is the military force. Since the end of Second World War, Realism has bhecome one of the major theories of International Relations which leads to political realism, Winston Churchill was a powerful advocate of realist foreign policy. "The perspective was well suited to the early phase of the Cold War. The power struggle between the world's two superpowers dominated international politics, and the United States sought to contain Soviet expansionism," claims (Knutsen, 1997, p.241). It could be defensive realism with national interest in its core and its interpretation connects with international security, anarchy in international relations and Michiavelli's realism. Thucidydes is supposed to be the founder of this school. Michiavelli, though condemned for preaching amoral ways during his lifetime, is the real propagator of Realism. Morganthau is crdited with systemetizing classical realism with his famous six principles. LIBERALISM Liberalism assumes that states can cooperate with one another through institutional mechanisms and bargaining and they are one key actor in the arena of World politics, and here states are not independent, but interdependent. It also argues that international institutions like Transnational Corporations, IMF, WHO, United Nations are actors in a different sphere, and have a role to play. Francis Fukuyama said that the ideology of liberalism has truimped and communism and totalitariansm have been defeated by liberal democracy and history has ended. MARXISM Marxism is being used to criticize technological society and its development. After disintegration of Soviet Union, Marxism has become an inadequate principle of Government. According to this theory, the world view is full of capitalists, bent upon amassing capital gains and it is connected with the criticism of colonialisation. It has become a kind of negative theory today due to international scenario. FUNCTIONALISM This theory owes its existence to the formation of European integration. Functionalists focus on integration of states and common interests. It gives importance to across the state integration, interdependence of states, partially or fully integrated states, ruled by 'invisible hands' also termed as 'spill-overs' divided into two, functional and political. "Functional spillover is the interconnection of various economic sectors or issue areas, and the integration in one policy-area spilling over into others. Plitical spillover is the creation of supranational governance models, as far-reaching as the European Union, or as the United Nations," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functionalism_in_international_relations CONSTRUCTIVISM Started by a set of schools of thought they include feminist, post modernist, post colonial and they are also called postpositivist critics. Social constructivist research has emerged as a major theory today. It assums that identities, culture and norms play an important role in world politics and institutions are produced by cultures, norms interactions and various national and international institutions. FEMINISM This depends on the feminist approach to the world politics, and proclaims that gender is important in this area too. This takes into consideration that men have written the rest of the theories and this particular theory belongs to women only and hence, become a gendered theory. Here women would attain more dominant positions and approach to world politics would be compassionate. IDEALISM Former President Woodrow Wilson of US is considered to be the founder of Idealism theory and it usually covers the diplomatic history of his administration. It says that the State should make its internal political philosophy the goal of its foreign policy. It gives importance to international law and international organizations. It is also connected with human rights and League of Nations. "Wilson's idealism was a precursor to liberal international relations theory, which would arise amongst the "institution-builders" after World War II", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idealism_in_international_relations International politics cannot be averted easily. It is not possible to expect the States to mind their own businesses and live their own isolated existences as they did in prehistorical days. Today, international politics has interfered in every aspect of human, political, social and cultural lives of people. "The implosion of political romanticism cannot be indefinitely averted because the irreducible core of politics is about making decisions that cannot be deferred and deliberated upon for ever and because solutions to practical political problems that rely on representation and aesthetic appeal to cloak deferral have limited purchase on the loyalties of the general run of people," (Jones, 1998, pp. 162-3). Even though we feel that international politics is getting systematized rapidly, we cannot forget that anarchy is at the bottom of it all, the driving, threatening and goarding force, that persistently drives the States to become more and more systemized. Rousseazu asked in his The State of War: "Who could have imagined without shuddering the inane system of a natural war of all against all What could be stranger than a creature who thought his own welfare depended on the destruction of his whole species!" (Forsyth et al, 1970, p. 176) and that is a daunting prospect. CONCLUSION There are many critics of Wendt and Waltz theories, because both the theories stem from anarchy. "In Theory of International Politics Waltz no longer relies on his first and second images to supplement war. He suggests that anarchy itself is the location of fear. The structure of anarchy means the states must compete for power in order to survive in this self-help system," (Weber, 2001, p.32). Theorists dealing with anarchy and realism, mostly focussed on common features disregarding the existing and potential differences. Realist theory offered the most systematic divisions in International Relations and analysts even found the necessity to differentiate within realism theory. Today it remains perhaps the most established theory of International Relations. BIBLIOGRAPHY: 1. Brown, Chris (2002), Sovereignty, Rights and Justice, International Political Theory today, Polity Press, Cambridge. 2. Forsyth, M.G., Keens-Soper, H.M.A., Savigear, P. (1970), The Theory of International Relations, George Allen and Unwin Ltd., London. 3. Jones, Charles (1998), E.H. Carr and International Relations, Cambridge University Press. 4. Knutsen, Torbjorn L. (1997), A History of International Relations Theory, 2nd edn., Manchester University Press, Manchester. 5. Weber, Cynthia (2001), International Relations Theory, 2nd edn., Routledge, London. ONLINE SOURCES: 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenneth_Waltz 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Wendt 3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idealism_in_international_relations Read More