Introduction to IR Theories

Question 1

Whats a Theory?

Answer 1

• conceptualizes interactions
• makes a general statement to answer a question
• brings up new questions
• reduces complexity

Question 2

Waltz’s understanding of “theory”

Answer 2

• distinct from a law
• indirectly refers to epistemology
• useful as an umbrella term for assumptions
• productive to assess relative explanatory power (they represent A reality not THE reality)

Question 3

Why do we need a theory of international politics?

Question 4

Why does it help to think in terms of levels of analysis?

Answer 4

• creation of different levels of abstraction
  -> allows to discover prerequisites to a level
  -> helps predict results

Question 5

International Relations

Answer 5

• sub-discipline of Political Science
• different from empirical development

Question 6

International Affairs

Answer 6

• more about development and interdisciplinarity
• includes teh field of IR

Question 7

Transnational

Answer 7

direct interactions (civil society actors interlink across borders)

Question 8

International

Answer 8

between nations (on a states’ level)

Question 9

Global

Answer 9

includes all kinds of actors

Question 10

Relations & affairs

Answer 10

includes all kinds of relations (not just politics)

Question 11

System

Answer 11

economic understanding

Question 12

Society

Answer 12

socially, normatively, domestically coined term

Question 13

Order

Answer 13

has different interpretations (survival, peace, hegemony…)

Question 14

Organization

Answer 14

• structure (how is something organized?)
• institution/actor

Question 15

Governance

Answer 15

includes also cooperation with non-state actors

Question 16

Stag hunt

Answer 16

• if all collaborate, the reward is larger for everyone (requires trust)
• if one person breaks trust, they get rewarded for sure, but its smaller
  -> game theory dilemma

Question 17

Causes of war

Answer 17

1. scarcity
2. ideological differences
3. ethnic conflicts (perceived differences)
4. territory
5. miscalculations
   - whether alliances are reliable
   - historical analogies
   - that offensive would be advantageous
6. religious reasons
7. domestic reasons (distraction from problems)
8. security policies/geo-politics
9. personal gain (unchecked leaders)

Question 18

Grouped causes of war (categories)

Answer 18

• Greed/evil
• tragedy & bad luck

Question 19

Waltz - Man, the State and War (three images of war)

Answer 19

1. Human nature and behaviour
2. State and society
3. International System

Question 20

Human nature and behaviour

Answer 20

• optimism -> depends on outside influence and can be changed
  VS
• pessimism -> humans are inherently evil

Question 21

State and society

Answer 21

• internal organization of a state
• good states and bad states exist (eg. good states want to control bad states, like in the Iraq war)
• notion that democracies don’t attack other democracies
• capitalism

Question 22

International System

Answer 22

• global order
• there is no superior power to maintain current equilibria

Question 23

Spirtas, Singer and later Waltz (two images of war)

Answer 23

• state and state behaviour (player)
  -> Waltz’s first two levels (human nature & state and society are joined into one)
• system (game)

Question 24

Realism vs. Neorealism

Answer 24

• core question: “How can we save ourselves?”
• Realism: protection from evil human nature
• Neorealism: protection from anarchic system

Question 25

Why and in what sense do we speak of international politics?

Answer 25

- there is no superior global government - because of the assumption that there are important interactions between states

Question 26

Why are there imbalances?

Answer 26

- Liberalism - Mercantilism - Liberal economics

Question 27

Why is there little progress?

Answer 27

- sovereignty as a key factor which is sought to be maintained -> inhibits inter state collaboration