Ethics in Ir
Introduction: when thinking about how the world works IR scholars usually subscribe to one of two dominant theories, realism or liberalism. One, classical/neo-realist thought, is more pessimistic about the prospects of peace, cooperation, and human progress whilst the other, liberalism/idealism, is more upbeat and sanguine about human nature and human possibilities. In this lecture, we examine each worldview in depth...at the end I'd like you to think about which, if any, view you subscribe to...
II. International Relations Theory A. What is theory? One word often used to describe theory is "paradigm". According to Ray and Kaarbo, a paradigm is simply a way of thinking about and approaching an area of scientific or scholarly inquiry that is widely accepted within a particular discipline.
1. In other words, a paradigm provides a simplified map of reality; it takes the complexity of the real world and reduces it to a core set of assumptions that make global events that seem so isolated, unrelated and complicated more comprehensible.
2. So thats what theory and paradigms are all about: they help us systematize and simplify a very complicated world. Good theory is generally simple (see Ockham's Razor...William of Ockham said [a long time ago!] that "when you have two competing theories that make exactly the same predictions, the simpler one is the better."), accurate, and elegant. -William of Ockham
3. Note that to be valuable, a paradigm of world politics needn't explain every event. This is b/c theory, by nature, simplifies reality so that certain things are missed. This simply can't be helped.
4. Ray and Kaarbo (p4) make the point that studying theories "allows students of international relations to analyze global politics in the future, long after they finish reading this book or taking courses on the subject. When students learn only history or contemporary
II. International Relations Theory A. What is theory? One word often used to describe theory is "paradigm". According to Ray and Kaarbo, a paradigm is simply a way of thinking about and approaching an area of scientific or scholarly inquiry that is widely accepted within a particular discipline.
1. In other words, a paradigm provides a simplified map of reality; it takes the complexity of the real world and reduces it to a core set of assumptions that make global events that seem so isolated, unrelated and complicated more comprehensible.
2. So thats what theory and paradigms are all about: they help us systematize and simplify a very complicated world. Good theory is generally simple (see Ockham's Razor...William of Ockham said [a long time ago!] that "when you have two competing theories that make exactly the same predictions, the simpler one is the better."), accurate, and elegant. -William of Ockham
3. Note that to be valuable, a paradigm of world politics needn't explain every event. This is b/c theory, by nature, simplifies reality so that certain things are missed. This simply can't be helped.
4. Ray and Kaarbo (p4) make the point that studying theories "allows students of international relations to analyze global politics in the future, long after they finish reading this book or taking courses on the subject. When students learn only history or contemporary