INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

International Relations



International Relations

1. A History of International Relations (IR)

The birth of international relations as a discipline is linked to concerns about the existence of conflicts between States, concern that in this century reached a high level after the experience of two world wars and the emergence of nuclear weapons. Currently, the IR is not only the study of power relations between states and their governments. International relations belong to both the academic field and the political field. They can be studied either in a positivist perspective or in a normative perspective, both seeking to analyze and formulate international policies of the country. The ability of modern relations to explain the relationships between different types of states is in question. Similarly, the liberal theory of international relations has been influenced by Immanuel Kant and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Gilpin, 1987).

Although, the current concept of human rights is considerably different from what was envisaged by the proponents of the natural law. Moreover, in the twentieth century, Marxism has had some influence on the foundation of the discipline of International Relations. Approach liberal theory of international relations led to the idea that the relationship between the state and civil society has a decisive influence on its behaviour and more generally on international relations (Hobson, 2000).

We can say that international relations are those relations that are established between individuals of different states. It lead to the development of international social relationships promoted by international factors that contribute to the formation and dynamics of a specific and differentiated international society. This tells us that the actors are international and that their actions have to be international highlighting the international nature outside the borders of a country, not the state (Beth, 2001).

2. Philosophy and International Relations

The aim of international society is a guarantee against the abuse of military force between people; at the same time it has the authority to recommend the solution of certain problems or arising difficulties. As a systematic body of knowledge, the consideration of international relations began in the United States and Britain from the First World War. The studies of international relations interpret scientifically the phenomena of international life and develop a theory of international society (Slantchev, 2005). The philosophy behind the IR is to encourage the structural changes in international society as a result of technological and industrial development. IR also grow the influence exerted by social and political movements in international relations, the heterogeneity of international society after the Bolshevik Revolution, the horrors of war and the desire to establish an order of peace and security, the responsibility assumed by Great Powers on the new complex and changing world, and scientific concerns of the hand of positivism and Marxism (Krasner, 2000).

If international relations historically belonged to the field of political science, the emphasis is increasingly placed on the economic field through the International Political Economy, which has developed a lot since the seventies. Other academic fields are also affected: the international law, the philosophy, the geography, the sociology, the ...