Liberal International Order:
Strong and powerful
POL209
June 7, 2022
, The article, Bound to Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Liberal International Order, by John
J. Mearsheimer touches many interesting points on international relations and more specifically,
international order, however, many of his topics can be argues and critiqued. The study of
international relations is important as it allows us to study how states can work together to create
policies and order. International order is important as it allows us to see how dynamics of states
working together can shape the world, policies, economies, and government. Critiquing these
views is also important within the study as it picks out weak points and gives scholars an
opportunity to dig deeper and find answers to questions, they may not have thought or improve
notions previously made. These factors all expand the study of international relations and help
society improve.
While John J. Mearsheimer’s article held many key ideas that suggest liberal democracy
is collapsing there are refutable arguments and some limitations on his findings. The article’s
lack of acknowledgment for liberal democracies differences from Marxism is an interesting
factor as not many liberals would consider themselves Marxist. To suggest institutions do not
influence decisions and policies is an underestimation of power which Mearsheimer tends to do
throughout the paper. Also, it is somewhat unreasonable to suggest states are growing less liberal
in views when individuals are growing more liberal in views as these individuals end up running
states or voting for people who represent them and their views. Lastly, it is with great hubris to
discuss that powerful states have no competition when there is no other state with similar power
as it limits the research of states that may lose to states with less resources and power than them.
This paper will argue that liberal democracy is not as similar to Marxism as Mearsheimer
suggests, and that institutions are in fact compelling factors with regards to international
relations, it will also argue that society is becoming increasingly liberal in values and finally it
will discuss Mearsheimer’s failure to consider the paradox of unrealized power.
Summary and key terms
The article being critiqued touched on many important issues and terms which need to be
summarized or explained in order to receive this paper well. To begin, the main theme of the
article was international order which is essentially the group that is in charge of maintaining
international relations, while the order itself is the institution in which it happens. Mearsheimer,
goes on to discuss Liberal international order and how it is a failure and has always been
destined to fail. He discusses how realist order can be bipolar or multipolar because if two or
more great powers are leading, they have to follow realist orders to ensure their security.
Agnostic and ideological orders, which includes liberal order, are unipolar because there is no
security competition between the member states as there is only one great power and no threats.
Liberal democracy and Marxism
In this article Mearsheimer suggests that liberal democracies tend to concern themselves
with others and their natural born rights, which one could say is similar to Marxism for caring
about the lower class everywhere. However, he also goes on to say that liberal democracy and
Marxism is essentially the same and groups them together, this is an extreme oversimplification
Strong and powerful
POL209
June 7, 2022
, The article, Bound to Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Liberal International Order, by John
J. Mearsheimer touches many interesting points on international relations and more specifically,
international order, however, many of his topics can be argues and critiqued. The study of
international relations is important as it allows us to study how states can work together to create
policies and order. International order is important as it allows us to see how dynamics of states
working together can shape the world, policies, economies, and government. Critiquing these
views is also important within the study as it picks out weak points and gives scholars an
opportunity to dig deeper and find answers to questions, they may not have thought or improve
notions previously made. These factors all expand the study of international relations and help
society improve.
While John J. Mearsheimer’s article held many key ideas that suggest liberal democracy
is collapsing there are refutable arguments and some limitations on his findings. The article’s
lack of acknowledgment for liberal democracies differences from Marxism is an interesting
factor as not many liberals would consider themselves Marxist. To suggest institutions do not
influence decisions and policies is an underestimation of power which Mearsheimer tends to do
throughout the paper. Also, it is somewhat unreasonable to suggest states are growing less liberal
in views when individuals are growing more liberal in views as these individuals end up running
states or voting for people who represent them and their views. Lastly, it is with great hubris to
discuss that powerful states have no competition when there is no other state with similar power
as it limits the research of states that may lose to states with less resources and power than them.
This paper will argue that liberal democracy is not as similar to Marxism as Mearsheimer
suggests, and that institutions are in fact compelling factors with regards to international
relations, it will also argue that society is becoming increasingly liberal in values and finally it
will discuss Mearsheimer’s failure to consider the paradox of unrealized power.
Summary and key terms
The article being critiqued touched on many important issues and terms which need to be
summarized or explained in order to receive this paper well. To begin, the main theme of the
article was international order which is essentially the group that is in charge of maintaining
international relations, while the order itself is the institution in which it happens. Mearsheimer,
goes on to discuss Liberal international order and how it is a failure and has always been
destined to fail. He discusses how realist order can be bipolar or multipolar because if two or
more great powers are leading, they have to follow realist orders to ensure their security.
Agnostic and ideological orders, which includes liberal order, are unipolar because there is no
security competition between the member states as there is only one great power and no threats.
Liberal democracy and Marxism
In this article Mearsheimer suggests that liberal democracies tend to concern themselves
with others and their natural born rights, which one could say is similar to Marxism for caring
about the lower class everywhere. However, he also goes on to say that liberal democracy and
Marxism is essentially the same and groups them together, this is an extreme oversimplification
