Pre-class reflection

As I reflect on the material presented in this class, I think about the various methods of thinking about the international world. International relations is a complex system to attempt to explain. Humans are desperate to define it and assign rules to it in order to be able to predict it. The power of prediction enables humans the ability to manipulate the system. However, the myriad of different schools of thought in the international system make this effort difficult.

I personally believe that a loose set of rules apply in the international system. This class helped me to define this system that makes the most sense to what I see happening in international relations. I found myself aligning with the constructivist ideology. This ideology appealed to me because it took into account ideas in the international system. While Realism and Liberalism assume a set of predefined attributes about human nature based on anarchy, constructivism states that human nature is defined by precedent. Humans are preoccupied with security if they are confronted with the reality that danger exists around them. If they are inversely presented with an atmosphere in which danger is not immediately present, then they will develop vastly different relations with neighbors.

Constructivism also admits a global public sphere in which ideas are perforating the national boundaries of nation-states. This is ever more evident in our current technological world. The traditional nation-state is slowly being morphed as other actors emerge with strong ideological bases such as IOs, crime groups, terrorists, and international social groups. This global sphere reinforces the ideas based model which shows that humans group together based on these shared interests which are formed by shared ideas.

I fully recognize that everything that I just explained can be counter-argued very well from a realist or liberal perspective. That is the difficulty of the international system. One sees exactly what ones world view allows them to see. Hence another reason I find constructivism to be compelling. It also takes into account cultural understandings which can explain why others see the world so decidedly different. It is because we have different experiences which shape the way we think and see.


Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 7, 2018 at 3:27 PM

    I like your assessment. I think in the end, no one system and probably not even using all of them combined can explain the human condition and how we best interact. I think constructivism has its merits in that it takes into account the condition and reality of the world (the realist perspective) and confronts it with adaptation and a changing of ideologies (the liberal aspect) and makes a nice middle ground. Ultimately these are just ways we can assess the world, any real-world solution will not develop so much from theory, but by trial, error, and random chance. Let the great melting pot keep melting.

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    1. EHAugust 9, 2018 at 8:45 PM

      I must concur with Ted for the most part. I would argue though that there is a causal chain. Students (like us) study these theories, then take those concepts to their work across the private sector, academia, and civil or military service. In a way they shape our perceptions of future events and our responses to those events.

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