To What Extent Are Realists Too Pessimistic For The Prospects For Peace?
Introduction International Relations, as an academic discipline, is considered an ever changing subject which has greatly evolved through the years due to the emergence of different and diverse political theories. It is from these that various interpretations are drawn and used to understand events and conflicts that shape how the world functions today. When studying the subject, one is confronted with three main approaches: Liberal Internationalism, the English School, and finally, realism. All of these dogmas have distinct outlooks on the nature of the state, on war, and on the international society. Realism and Liberal Internationalism (which, for the continuation of this essay, will also be referred to as liberalism or idealism) are identified as the two extremes of the academic arena. On one hand, the main realist theme is that “states find themselves in the shadow of anarchy such that their security cannot be taken for granted” (Dunne, Schmidt, 2008: 95). Liberalism on the o...