Question

What are the specific differences between the theories of liberalism and realism? How do liberalists and realists describe how a nation should conduct its foreign policies? Which of these theories do you feel is a better way for a state to deal with other states?

Answer 1

• Realism is a theory about power, security, and states are the fundamental actors. In a realist perspective, states relentlessly seek power and security because they exist in a self-help system. Most of all, states seek autonomy because in a world where you can't trust anyone, you don't want to be interdependent. Liberals believe in interdependence and things that lead to peace.
• Realists tend to be skeptical about interdependence because who wants to be mutually dependent in a world that's very dangerous. Essentially, today's friend can be tomorrow's enemy, and you never know who's planning against you now. Realism don't believe in Utopian muddle-headed schemes that would provide a perpetual peace in the world based on some notion of a natural harmony interests among states. Instead realism sees the world in terms of tragedy and evil throughout our history.
• In a liberal perspective, liberalism is not opposed to war or the use of force, but they want to stress out every other opportunity first. Liberalism believes that as long as the states and organizations work through international institutions and follow the international law, 99 percent of the time they can come up with acceptable solutions to the problems before conflict.
• Liberals believe that there's cooperation and natural harmony between organizations and states. Whereas, realists understand that there's no harmony among the states, so you just have to live the adversity and come up with rational solutions based on what’s happening and what might happen. On the other hand, liberalism implies that we can prevent conflicts if we cooperate together.
• Realism sees the world with threats and Hobbesian war of all against in a state of nature, meaning there is no 911, no world government. It's just everyone out for themselves and must survive, but it doesn't mean that war has to happen—it just means that the danger of war is always lurking in the background of all international politics, so the state and its people must always be prepared.
• Realism is more persuasive than liberalism because it as a realistic explanation of dynamics of the political world in the realist live and the name represents almost an unfair advantage in terms of student' initial reaction to it.