Logics of International Politics and Ethics

Logics of INternational Politics and Ethics

• The fundamental logics driving international relations focuses on conflict and cooperation.
• Different theoretical lenses interpret these dynamics.

Realism

• A theory that emphasizes power, security competition (both offensive and defensive)
• Conflict may stem from a lack of trust and the anarchic nature of the international system
• Variations include offensive and defensive realism
• These variations have implications for state behavior

Security Dilemma

• A paradox where efforts to increase security can decrease the security of other states.
• It fuels an arms race or escalating tensions.
• Misperception and communication failures exacerbate it.

Institutionalism

• A theory that emphasizes the role of international institutions and norms
• It fosters cooperation and mitigates the security dilemma.
• Different types of international institutions (e.g., IGOs, NGOs)
• Different types have varying effectiveness.

Liberalism

• A theory emphasizing the importance of international law, cooperation
• Promotes individual rights and democracy in achieving peace and stability.
• There is a debate between liberal institutionalism and liberal internationalism.

Cosmopolitanism

• Emphasizes the moral significance of all individuals, regardless of national or state affiliation.
• Tension exists between cosmopolitanism and state sovereignty.

State Moralism

• A moral philosophy that prioritizes the interests and moral obligations of states.
• There are challenges in balancing state interests with universal moral principles.

Amoralism/Skepticism

• The view that morality is irrelevant or inapplicable to international relations.
• Arguments for and against amoralism exist in international relations.

Nye's Matrix of Moral Assessment

• A framework for evaluating the morality of political actions
• Evaluation is based on motive, means, and consequences.
• Applies to complex real-world scenarios, like nuclear weapons or humanitarian intervention.

Security Competition

• The pursuit of security through military buildup, alliances, and other means
• Often leads to a cycle of escalation.
• Technology and information shape security competition.

Deterrence

• The use of threat of force to prevent an adversary from taking a particular action.
• Different types of deterrence include general, immediate, and extended.

Tools of The Scholarly Trade

• Methodologies are used in international relations research.
• It emphasizes understanding assumptions about reality (ontology) and knowledge (epistemology).

Ontology

• The study of being.
• In IR, it concerns assumptions about the nature of reality and what exists.
• There is a debate between objectivism and subjectivism in international relations.

Epistemology

• The study of knowledge.
• In IR relates to how we know what we know and what constitutes valid knowledge.
• The debate between positivism and interpretivism exist in international relations.

Objectivism

• The belief that there is an external reality independent of our perception
• Knowledge can be objectively verified.
• There are challenges of achieving objectivity in social science research.

Subjectivism

• The belief that knowledge is shaped by individual or social perspectives and interpretations.
• Social construction shapes international relations.

Positivism

• A research approach emphasizing empirical observation, measurement, and the testing of hypotheses.
• There are limitations of positivism in understanding complex social phenomena.

Interpretivism

• A research approach emphasizing understanding the meanings and interpretations of actors involved in international relations.
• The challenges of interpreting subjective meanings and experiences.

Empirical Observation

• Gathering data through direct observation of events and phenomena.
• There are limitations in capturing complex social processes.

Interviews

• Gathering data through structured or unstructured conversations with individuals.
• There are challenges of ensuring reliability and validity in interview data.

Participant Observation

• Gathering data by immersing oneself in the social setting being studied.
• There are ethical considerations.

Quantitative Methods

• Research methods use numerical data and statistical analysis.
• Different types of quantitative methods (e.g., regression analysis, time series analysis).

Qualitative Methods

• Research methods use non-numerical data, such as text, images, and interviews
• Used to understand social phenomena.
• Different types of qualitative methods (e.g., case studies, discourse analysis).

Correspondence Theory of Truth

• A statement is true if and only if it corresponds to reality.
• There are challenges of establishing correspondence between statements and reality.

Coherence Theory of Truth

• A statement is true if and only if it coheres with a system of beliefs.
• There are challenges of establishing coherence among beliefs.

Tools of the Scholarly Trade, Pt. 2: Paradigms and Theories

• Paradigms and theories explain international relations.
• Ontological and epistemological underpinnings guide research.

Paradigm

• A broad framework or worldview that shapes research questions, methods, and interpretations.
• There is a relationship between paradigms and theories.

Theory

• A set of logically interconnected propositions that explain a phenomenon.
• There are criteria for evaluating good theories (e.g., clarity, parsimony, explanatory power, predictive power).

Realism (as a paradigm)

• Focuses on state power, national interest, and the anarchic nature of the international system.
• Different schools of thought exist within realism (e.g., classical, neorealism, structural realism).

Liberalism (as a paradigm)

• Emphasizes cooperation, international institutions, and the role of norms and ideas.
• Different strands of liberalism (e.g., liberal institutionalism, democratic peace theory).

Marxism (as a paradigm)

• Focuses on class conflict, economic structures, and the unequal distribution of power in the international system.
• World-systems theory and dependency theory are Marxist approaches to international relations.

Descriptive Theory

• Aims to describe and characterize phenomena.
• There are limitations of purely descriptive theories.

Explanatory Theory

• Aims to explain the causes and consequences of phenomena.
• There are criteria for evaluating explanatory theories (e.g., causal mechanisms, counterfactual reasoning).

Predictive Theory

• Aims to predict future events or outcomes.
• There are challenges of making accurate predictions in international relations.

Normative Theory

• Aims to prescribe what ought to be done.
• There is a relationship between normative and positive theories.

Qualitative Research

• Uses non-numerical data to understand social phenomena.
• Different qualitative research methods exist (e.g., case studies, ethnography, discourse analysis).

Quantitative Research

• Uses numerical data and statistical analysis to test hypotheses.
• Different quantitative research methods (e.g., regression analysis, time series analysis).

Counterfactual

• A hypothetical scenario that explores "what if" questions.
• The criteria for evaluating useful counterfactuals include plausibility, proximity, theoretical consistency.

Cold War Nuclear Ethics

• Moral dilemmas surround nuclear weapons.
• Just war theory analyzes the ethical implications of nuclear warfighting and deterrence.

Just War Theory

• A framework for evaluating the morality of war.
• Includes jus ad bellum (justice of war) and jus in bello (justice in war).
• There are different interpretations and applications.

Jus ad bellum

• Principles govern the decision to go to war.
• Principles: just cause, right intention, legitimate authority, last resort, probability of success, proportionality.
• There are challenges of applying these principles to nuclear war.

Jus in bello

• Principles that govern the conduct of war.
• Principles: discrimination, proportionality, military necessity.
• There are challenges of applying these principles to nuclear war.

Nuclear Deterrence

• The strategy of maintaining a credible threat of nuclear retaliation
• Used to prevent an adversary from initiating a nuclear attack.
• There is debate over the morality of nuclear deterrence.

Nuclear Ethics

• The branch of ethics that deals with the moral implications of nuclear weapons.
• Different ethical perspectives of nuclear weapons: pacifism, realism, just war theory.

Moral Dilemma

• A situation where there is a conflict between two or more moral principles or values.
• Different ways of resolving moral dilemmas exist.

Post-Cold War Security Cooperation

• How states cooperate in the post-Cold War era.
• The role of international law and institutions manage conflicts and promote peace.

International Law

• A body of rules and principles governing relations between states.
• The sources of international law include treaties, customary law, general principles of law.

International Institutions

• Organizations and structures that facilitate cooperation among states.
• Different types of international institutions (e.g., IGOs, NGOs, international regimes).

Game Theory

• A mathematical framework for analyzing strategic interactions between actors.
• Different game theory models exist (e.g., prisoner's dilemma, chicken).

Tit-for-Tat

• A strategy in game theory where an actor reciprocates the previous action of another actor.
• The conditions exist under which tit-for-tat is an effective strategy.

Security Dilemma (in the context of cooperation)

• The challenge of balancing cooperation with the need to protect national security.
• Transparency and trust-building measures reduce the security dilemma.

United Nations (UN)

• A global intergovernmental organization aimed at maintaining international peace and security.
• The structure and functions include the Security Council and General Assembly.

UN Security Council

• The principal organ of the UN responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
• The veto power of permanent members impacts decision-making.

Private Goods

• Goods that are rivalrous and excludable.
• Implications exist for international cooperation.

Common Goods

• Goods that are non-rivalrous and non-excludable.
• Challenges exist for managing common goods in the international system.

Post Cold War Small Wars & R2P

• The rise of small wars and intrastate conflicts in the post-Cold War era.
• Examines the emergence of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine.

Small Wars

• Intrastate conflicts characterized by irregular warfare and often involving mass atrocities.
• Causes and consequences affect small wars.

Mass Atrocities

• Widespread and systematic human rights violations, including genocide, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.
• Challenges exist for defining and preventing mass atrocities.

Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

• A doctrine emphasizing the responsibility of the international community to prevent and respond to mass atrocities.
• The three pillars of R2P: prevention, reaction, and rebuilding.

Humanitarian Intervention

• The use of military force by one or more states to prevent or stop mass atrocities.
• The debate over legitimacy and effectiveness.

Liberal International Order (LIO)

• The post-Cold War international system characterized by the dominance of liberal values and institutions.
• Challenges exist to the LIO and its future.

Darfur

• A case study of a conflict involving mass atrocities where the international community's response was widely criticized.
• Factors contributed to the failure to prevent and stop the atrocities in Darfur.

Libya

• A case study of a conflict where humanitarian intervention was undertaken, but with mixed results.
• Debate exists over the legitimacy and effectiveness of the intervention in Libya.

Moral Skeptics

• Question the moral basis for humanitarian intervention.
• Arguments exist for challenging humanitarian intervention.

Cosmopolitans (in the context of R2P)

• Believe that states have a moral obligation to protect individuals from mass atrocities, regardless of national borders.
• Challenges exist in balancing cosmopolitan values with state sovereignty.

State Moralists (in the context of R2P)

• Believe that states should only intervene in other states' affairs when their own national interests are at stake.
• Arguments exist that state moralists that justify or oppose humanitarian intervention.

Implementing R2P

• Examine the challenges of implementing the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine in practice.

Implementation Challenges of R2P

• Difficulties exist in preventing and responding to mass atrocities.
• Arise from political obstacles, logistical constraints, and the risk of unintended consequences.
• International cooperation and national capacity-building improves R2P implementation.

Preventing Mass Atrocities

• Strategies include early warning systems, diplomatic pressure, and capacity-building.
• Effectiveness differs among prevention strategies.

Responding to Mass Atrocities

• Strategies exist that include humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping operations, and military intervention.
• Ethical and practical considerations affect response strategies.

Rebuilding After Mass Atrocities

• Strategies exist for rebuilding societies after mass atrocities.
• Strategies include transitional justice, reconciliation, and economic development.
• Challenges exist for achieving sustainable peace and reconciliation after mass atrocities.