Two Critiques of Realism
The dominance of realism in IR during the second half of the twentieth century, especially in the United States,spawned a substantial literature that criticizes many of itself rose to a tions and arguments (see wed link 3.30) . As indicated in Chapter2, realism itself rose to a position of academic pre-eminence in the 1940s and 1950s by effectively criticizing the liberal idealism of the interwar period.Neorealism has been involved in a renewed debate with liberalism.We shall investigate that debate in Chapter4.Here we shall confine our discussion to two important critiques of realism: an International Society critique and an emancipatory critigue.
The International Society tradition (see Chapter5) is critical of realism on two counts.First.it regards realism as a one-dimensional IR theory that is too narrowly focused.Second, it claims that realism fails to capture the extent to which international politics is a dialogue of different IR voices and persectives. The International Society tradition is not critical of every a
Martin Wight 1991 a leading representative of the International Society approach, places a great deal of emphasis on the character of international politics as a historical dialogue between three important philosophies/ideologies:realism (Machiavelli), rationalism(Grotius) and revolutionism (Kant). In order to acquire a holistic understanding of IR it is necessary, according to Martin Wight, to comprehend the dialectical relations of these three basic normative perspectives (see Chapter 5)
At least one leading classical realist appears to agree with Martin Wight. In a monumental study of diplomacy, the American scholar and statesman Henry Kissinger (1994: 29-55) explores the long-standing and continuing dialogue in diplomatic theory and practice between the foreign-policy outlook of pessimistic realism and that of optimistic liberalism. For example, Kissinger discerns that dialogue in the contrasting foreign policies of US Republican President Theodore Roosevelt and Democratic President Woodrow Wilson in the early twentieth century. Roosevelt was ‘a sophisticated analyst of the balance of power’ while Wilson was ‘the originator of the vision of universal world organization, the League of Nations’. Both perspectives have shaped American foreign policy historically .that dialogue between realism and liberalism is not confined to past and present American foreign policy; it is also evident historically in British foreign policy. Kissinger contrasts the politically cautious and pragmatic nineteenth-century British foreign policy of Conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and the morally aroused and interventionist foreign policy of his Liberal counterpart, William Gladstone. Kissinger implies that both these perspectives have a legitimate place in American foreign policy and British foreign policy and that neither of them should be ignored. Here,then, is an implied criticism of realism: that it is inclined to ignore or at least to downplay the liberal and democratic voice in world affairs
Wethus have reason to ask whether Kissinger should be classified as a realist at all. Is he a secret member of the International Society school? We believe Kissinger should be regarded as a classical realist. Although he portrays the Wilsonian voice in American foreign policy and the Gladstonian voice in British foreign policy as legitimate and important,it is abundantly clear from his lengthy analysis that his preferred basis for any successful foreign
Two Critiques of Realism The dominance of realism in IR during the second half of the twentieth century, especially in the United States,spawned a substantial literature that criticizes many of itself rose to a tions and arguments (see wed link 3.30) . As indicated in Chapter2, realism itself rose to a position of academic pre-eminence in the 1940s and 1950s by effectively criticizing the liberal idealism of the interwar period.Neorealism has been involved in a renewed debate with liberalism.We shall investigate that debate in Chapter4.Here we shall confine our discussion to two important critiques of realism: an International Society critique and an emancipatory critigue. The International Society tradition (see Chapter5) is critical of realism on two counts.First.it regards realism as a one-dimensional IR theory that is too narrowly focused.Second, it claims that realism fails to capture the extent to which international politics is a dialogue of different IR voices and persectives. The International Society tradition is not critical of every a Martin Wight 1991 a leading representative of the International Society approach, places a great deal of emphasis on the character of international politics as a historical dialogue between three important philosophies/ideologies:realism (Machiavelli), rationalism(Grotius) and revolutionism (Kant). In order to acquire a holistic understanding of IR it is necessary, according to Martin Wight, to comprehend the dialectical relations of these three basic normative perspectives (see Chapter 5)At least one leading classical realist appears to agree with Martin Wight. In a monumental study of diplomacy, the American scholar and statesman Henry Kissinger (1994: 29-55) explores the long-standing and continuing dialogue in diplomatic theory and practice between the foreign-policy outlook of pessimistic realism and that of optimistic liberalism. For example, Kissinger discerns that dialogue in the contrasting foreign policies of US Republican President Theodore Roosevelt and Democratic President Woodrow Wilson in the early twentieth century. Roosevelt was ‘a sophisticated analyst of the balance of power’ while Wilson was ‘the originator of the vision of universal world organization, the League of Nations’. Both perspectives have shaped American foreign policy historically .that dialogue between realism and liberalism is not confined to past and present American foreign policy; it is also evident historically in British foreign policy. Kissinger contrasts the politically cautious and pragmatic nineteenth-century British foreign policy of Conservative Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli and the morally aroused and interventionist foreign policy of his Liberal counterpart, William Gladstone. Kissinger implies that both these perspectives have a legitimate place in American foreign policy and British foreign policy and that neither of them should be ignored. Here,then, is an implied criticism of realism: that it is inclined to ignore or at least to downplay the liberal and democratic voice in world affairsWethus have reason to ask whether Kissinger should be classified as a realist at all. Is he a secret member of the International Society school? We believe Kissinger should be regarded as a classical realist. Although he portrays the Wilsonian voice in American foreign policy and the Gladstonian voice in British foreign policy as legitimate and important,it is abundantly clear from his lengthy analysis that his preferred basis for any successful foreign
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