_IR_Liberalism_1.docx
IR Essay
Name
Student Number
Stream: ES4
Resit No
Resit: When did you originally take this course (please specify academic year and
semester)
Module IR, Semester 2
Module Code : ES-2PPA-E4-15
Question : What are the basic Liberal principles as an IR theory?
Question Block : Block 3: Liberalism
Question Number : 1
Part Mark: Part A
Date of submission : April 7th, 2021
, _IR_Liberalism_1.docx
What are the basic Liberal principles as an IR theory?
Liberalism is one of the leading International Relation theories; it goes back to important thinkers
from the Enlightenment period. Liberals have an optimistic perspective on International Relations.
They hope that the world order can be improved by progress and peace, which eventually will
replace war and conflict (Gold & McGlinchey, 2016, pp. 49 & 54). This essay will investigate the
following question: “What are the basic Liberal principles as an International Relations theory”. It will
be explained by the following statement: the main basic liberal principles to explain the international
system are democratic peace, globalisation and economic interdependence, and the creation of
international organisations.
Firstly, democratic peace is one of the main basic liberal principles as an International Relations
theory. Moravcsik (1997) states that within the democratic peace theory, liberal democratic
institutions favour not to incite wars since influence is either placed in possession of the individuals
who would exhaust blood and treasure or the leaders that the citizens choose (p. 531). Immanuel
Kant has had an essential role in liberalism as an International Relations theory. The democratic
peace thesis arose from Kant’s view that liberal states are pacific towards other liberal states in their
relations. Kant believed that international peace was based on democratic and liberal norms
(Buchan, 2002, p. 409). According to Kant, when the citizens of a country have power over the
decision to use force instead of the monarch or president, conflicts and wars between states would
be reduced (Dunne, 2020, p. 106). In contrast to liberals, realists claim that power and interests, not
democracy, are the critical factors of peace or conflict among states (Maoz, 1997, p. 164). However,
Jack Levy (as cited in Dunne, 2009, p. 108) described the democratic peace thesis as “the closest
thing we have to an empirical law in international politics”. Dunne (2009) further explains that
democracies are pretty peaceful in general. The executive power is inspected, and citizens are afraid
that war jeopardises their economic resources, resulting in a state’s reduction of war-proneness (p.
108). Moreover, according to Ikenberry (2009), the second model of liberal internationalism states
that democratic peace is one of the principal explanations for lasting peace in major states for the
last couple of decades (p. 79). Thus, liberalism as an International Relations theory states that
democratic peace between states is essential in preventing conflicts and wars.
In addition, the basic International Relations liberal principle of globalisation and economic
interdependence help preserve peace. Rowe (2005) describes that globalisation forces countries to
specialise based on competitive advantage. However, it still makes states dependent on others for
their economic growth. This shared dependency restrains states from implementing policies that
IR Essay
Name
Student Number
Stream: ES4
Resit No
Resit: When did you originally take this course (please specify academic year and
semester)
Module IR, Semester 2
Module Code : ES-2PPA-E4-15
Question : What are the basic Liberal principles as an IR theory?
Question Block : Block 3: Liberalism
Question Number : 1
Part Mark: Part A
Date of submission : April 7th, 2021
, _IR_Liberalism_1.docx
What are the basic Liberal principles as an IR theory?
Liberalism is one of the leading International Relation theories; it goes back to important thinkers
from the Enlightenment period. Liberals have an optimistic perspective on International Relations.
They hope that the world order can be improved by progress and peace, which eventually will
replace war and conflict (Gold & McGlinchey, 2016, pp. 49 & 54). This essay will investigate the
following question: “What are the basic Liberal principles as an International Relations theory”. It will
be explained by the following statement: the main basic liberal principles to explain the international
system are democratic peace, globalisation and economic interdependence, and the creation of
international organisations.
Firstly, democratic peace is one of the main basic liberal principles as an International Relations
theory. Moravcsik (1997) states that within the democratic peace theory, liberal democratic
institutions favour not to incite wars since influence is either placed in possession of the individuals
who would exhaust blood and treasure or the leaders that the citizens choose (p. 531). Immanuel
Kant has had an essential role in liberalism as an International Relations theory. The democratic
peace thesis arose from Kant’s view that liberal states are pacific towards other liberal states in their
relations. Kant believed that international peace was based on democratic and liberal norms
(Buchan, 2002, p. 409). According to Kant, when the citizens of a country have power over the
decision to use force instead of the monarch or president, conflicts and wars between states would
be reduced (Dunne, 2020, p. 106). In contrast to liberals, realists claim that power and interests, not
democracy, are the critical factors of peace or conflict among states (Maoz, 1997, p. 164). However,
Jack Levy (as cited in Dunne, 2009, p. 108) described the democratic peace thesis as “the closest
thing we have to an empirical law in international politics”. Dunne (2009) further explains that
democracies are pretty peaceful in general. The executive power is inspected, and citizens are afraid
that war jeopardises their economic resources, resulting in a state’s reduction of war-proneness (p.
108). Moreover, according to Ikenberry (2009), the second model of liberal internationalism states
that democratic peace is one of the principal explanations for lasting peace in major states for the
last couple of decades (p. 79). Thus, liberalism as an International Relations theory states that
democratic peace between states is essential in preventing conflicts and wars.
In addition, the basic International Relations liberal principle of globalisation and economic
interdependence help preserve peace. Rowe (2005) describes that globalisation forces countries to
specialise based on competitive advantage. However, it still makes states dependent on others for
their economic growth. This shared dependency restrains states from implementing policies that
