As we delve deeper into understanding international interactions, it becomes clear that theoretical foundations serve as indispensable tools for understanding, analyzing, and navigating the complex web of geopolitical relations. The article presents the foundations of liberal theory and explains the contribution of this theory to understanding the reality of international interactions.
Liberalism and its related developments and concepts: democracy, economic interdependence, and international institutions.
Liberalism and neoliberalism are two distinct political and economic ideologies that have played important roles in shaping modern society.
Liberalism
Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on freedom, the consent of the governed, and equality before the law. Liberals hold a wide range of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but they generally support free markets, free trade, limited government, individual rights (including civil and human rights), capitalism, democracy, gender equality, racial equality, internationalism, and freedom of expression.
Liberalism first became a distinct political movement during the Enlightenment, when it became popular among Western philosophers and economists. Liberalism sought to replace norms of hereditary privilege, state religion, absolute monarchy, the divine right of kings, and traditional conservatism with representative democracy and the rule of law.
Liberalism assumes that democracies do not fight each other and places a limit on war, which Francis Fukuyama described as an ideal relationship in which no democracy has ever fought another democracy.
According to the democratic peace thesis, Kenneth Waltz believes that knowing the causes of war is easier than obtaining the terms of peace, because the causes of war lie not only in the state or the structure of the international system, but in both.
Neoliberalism
On the other hand, neoliberalism is a modern political-economic theory that favors free trade, privatization, minimal government intervention in business, reduced public spending on social services, etc. It is often associated with the economic policies introduced by Margaret Thatcher in the United Kingdom and Ronald Reagan in the United States.
The term "neoliberalism" was first used in 1938 in Colloque Walter Lippmann, a group of scholars who defined it as a middle way between classical liberalism and the socialist tradition. The goal was to find a balance that ensures the benefits of a market economy without the social inequality and economic instability that can come with unbridled capitalism.
Neoliberalism is concerned with how to achieve cooperation among states and other actors in the international system. International cooperation appears when states adjust their behaviors to suit the actual or expected preferences of other states.
Liberalism argues that specific historical developments during the twentieth century have ensured the growth of international institutions, both formal and informal.
Dependency: “Described by Kenneth Waltz in his article (1970), as an ideology used by the United States and the active powers in the structure of the international system to camouflage the gains and interests they achieve in international politics, so that strong and weak countries, rich and poor alike, appear to be involved in a dense network of mutual dependency.
Essentially, while both liberalism and neoliberalism value free market principles, neoliberalism advocates a greater emphasis on the free market and a greater reduction in government spending and intervention. This has made neoliberalism a controversial topic, with critics pointing out that this reduction in government intervention can often lead to inequality and economic instability.
Statement of the contribution of these theories to the understanding of the reality of international interactions
Liberalism, as a theoretical framework for understanding international relations, contributes to our understanding of the reality of global interactions in several ways.
Liberalism emphasizes cooperation and interdependence among states and international actors and the role of international organizations and institutions. It emphasizes the role of international institutions, law, and norms in shaping state behavior and promoting peace and cooperation. Liberalism also emphasizes the importance of democracy and human rights, as seen in democratic peace theory.
Emphasis is placed on economic interdependence and the promotion of free trade and globalization. Non-state actors such as NGOs and multinational corporations are also recognized in international relations. In general, liberalism provides a more optimistic picture of international relations than other theories such as realism. It proposes that through cooperation, international law, democracy, and economic interdependence, a peaceful international order can be achieved. However, critics argue that liberalism is too idealistic and does not adequately take into account the role of power and self-interest in international relations.
Neoliberalism emphasizes interdependence, international cooperation, and economic liberalization. It highlights the importance of states being connected through economic, social, and political networks and the role of international institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund in promoting cooperation. Neoliberalism advocates open markets, free trade, and deregulation, which discourage conflict and contribute to global prosperity. It supports democratic peace theory, which suggests that democracies are less likely to engage in military conflict. Neoliberalism also introduces the concept of “soft power,” which suggests that states are able to achieve their goals through attraction and persuasion rather than coercion or military force.
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