Liberalism, liberal
approach to the study of international politics has its roots in the
development of liberal political theory in the 17th century. The
liberal tradition generally takes a positive view of human nature. Liberalism
is a defining feature of modern democracy, illustrated by the prevalence of
term ‘liberal democracy’ as a way to describe countries within free and fair
elections, rule of law and protected civil liberties. However-liberalism-when
discussed within the realm of International Relations theory has evolved into a
distinct entity of its own. Liberalism contains a variety of concepts and
arguments about how institutions, behaviours and economic connections contain
and mitigate the violent power of states. Liberalism is based on the moral
argument that ensuring the right of an individual person to life, liberty and
property is the highest goal of government. Liberals emphasize the wellbeing of
the individual as the fundamental building block of a just political system. A
political system characterized by unchecked power. The main concern of
liberalism is to construct institutions that protect individual freedom by
limiting and checking political power.
Liberals are troubled by militaristic foreign
policies. The primary concern is that war requires states to build up military
power. This power can be used for fighting foreign states, but it can also be
used to oppress its own citizens. For this reason, political system rooted in
liberalism often limit military power by such means as ensuring civilian
control over the military. For liberals, the core problem is how to develop a
political system that can allow states to protect themselves from foreign
threats without subverting the individual liberty of its citizens. The primary
institutional check on power in liberal states is free and fair elections via
which the people can remove their rulers from power, providing a fundamental
check on the behaviour of the government. A second important limitation on
political power is the division of political power among different branches and
levels of government-such as parliament/congress, an executive and a legal
system. This allows for checks and balances in the use of power.
Liberals have argued with the Realists that war is
recurring feature of the anarchic states system. But unlike realists, they do
not consider anarchy as the cause of war. Liberals see-imperialism, failure of
the balance of power, and presence of undemocratic regimes as the cause of war.
Liberalistic Perspective of International Relations can be summed up in the following
points.;-
1—Compromise and
peace is the essence of Liberalism (Stanley Hofman).
2---Liberals have
broad optimistic view of human nature.
3---Rivalry and
conflicts are because of interests and interests can be mutually distributed
and thus conflicts can be resolved.
4---Liberals
typically deplore the use of force and aggression.
5---The central
theme and theory of liberalism in all its forms is the notion of harmony or
balance amongst competing interest.
6---The end of
Cold War, the growing impact of Globalization and a new wave of democratization
in the 1990s each gave liberal theory additional impetus.
The key themes within
liberal theory are as follows;-
1----Republican/Political
Liberalism.
2----Interdependence/Economic
Liberalism.
3----Liberal
Institutionalism/Social, Cultural Liberalism.
EXPLANATION
Trade and Economic relations is the key theme in
interdependence liberalism within commercial liberalism was belief in the
virtues of free trade. This applies not only in economic realm, through the
advance of globalization, but it also evident relation to a range of other
issues, including climate change, development and poverty reduction and human
rights.
Liberals have seen democracy as a guarantee of peace,
they believe that idea of democracy should be promoted. Liberals believe that external
behaviour of a state is crucially influenced by its political and
constitutional make-up. A form of liberalism that highlights the benefit of
republic(rather than monarchial) government and in particular, emphasizes the
link between democracy and peace.
International organizations, an approach to the study
that emphasizes the role of institutions(both formal and informal) in the
realization of liberal principles and goals. Hobbes and John Locke, highlights
the fact that only the construction of a sovereign power can safeguard citizens
from the chaos and barbarity of the state of nature. Order of domestic politics
must be imposed in international politics. Rule of should be applicable at
International level, on which Woodrow Wilson said, that it would turn the
jungle of International Politics into a Zoo.