Instructions for Monday

 

To help you prepare for the theory essay and (most importantly) to fully understand and evaluate the IR theories - use this table and the questions below.

You can start filling it in with your own views before class. 

 

 

 

 

 
Questions Realist Liberal Marxist Feminist Clash-Constructivist Apocalyptic
View of History?  

 

 

          
Human Nature?

Human Rights?

  

 

 

 

     Essentialists

Learned Gender

    
Role of Culture?  

 

 

 

          
Important Actor(s)

Collective Identity?

  

Structural

 

Classical

 

 

 

 

 

 Institutionalist

Cultural

Power

 

        
Impact of

Globalization?

  

 

 

 

 

 :"Free Trade"

 

"Fair Trade"

        
Attitude to

IGO's?

(e.g. UN)

  

 

 

 

 Institutionalist

Cultural

Power

        
Causes of War?  

Hobbessian

 

Machiavellian

 

 

 

 

 Institutionalist

Cultural

Power

Pacifist

        

Just War?

  

 

 

 

 Institutionalist

Power

Pacificst

 

        
How to Get Peace?  

Hobbessian

 

Machiavellian

 

 

 

 Institutionalist

 

Power Liberal

Pacifist Liberals

        

Critiques

Realism:

  1. Internal Logic? Any internal contradictions?
  2. Empirical Accuracy - what do they have correct about world?
  3. Empirical Inaccuracy - what did they get wrong?
  4. Normative Utility or Disutility? How useful is overall theory (OR particular normative variants) in guiding policy?

Liberal Theory (can critique Liberal-Institutionalist, Constructivist/Cultural Liberals, Power Liberals, and Pacifist Liberals Separately if prefer)

  1. Internal Logic? Any internal contradictions?
  2. Empirical Accuracy - what do they have correct about world?
  3. Empirical Inaccuracy - what did they get wrong?
  4. Normative Utility or Disutility? How useful is overall theory (OR particular normative variants) in guiding policy?

Marxist Theory: 

  1. Internal Logic? Any internal contradictions?
  2. Empirical Accuracy - what do they have correct about world?
  3. Empirical Inaccuracy - what did they get wrong?
  4. Normative Utility or Disutility? How useful is overall theory (OR particular normative variants) in guiding policy?

Difference Feminist Theory:

  1. Internal Logic? Any internal contradictions?
  2. Empirical Accuracy - what do they have correct about world?
  3. Empirical Inaccuracy - what did they get wrong?
  4. Normative Utility or Disutility? How useful is overall theory (OR particular normative variants) in guiding policy?

"Clash" Constructivist (Huntington + Intra-Societal Constructivist)  

  1. Internal Logic? Any internal contradictions?
  2. Empirical Accuracy - what do they have correct about world?
  3. Empirical Inaccuracy - what did they get wrong?
  4. Normative Utility or Disutility? How useful is overall theory (OR particular normative variants) in guiding policy?

Apocalyptic Theories:

  1. Internal Logic? Any internal contradictions?
  2. Empirical Accuracy - what do they have correct about world?
  3. Empirical Inaccuracy - what did they get wrong?
  4. Normative Utility or Disutility? How useful is overall theory (OR particular normative variants) in guiding policy?

Your Own Normative Theory:

  1. View of History?
  2. View of Human Nature
  3. Universal Human Rights?
  4. Most Important Actors/Collective Identity?
  5. Role of Culture?
  6. Causes of War?
  7. Causes of Peace?