Theoretical Approaches to Explain the Causes of War in International Relations

Running head: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
International relations
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Name of the University
Author Note

1
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
The aim of this essay is to discuss the theoretical approaches which best explains the
causes war. However, while discussing the three chosen approaches, which will be compared
and contrasted in the following essay and three empirical, examples of the war in the past 200
years will be listed to support the arguments. International relations consist of three important
paradigms, which elucidate the relationships among two or more states. Therefore, there is a
whole spectrum of views regarding international relations and their three major approaches
are realism, liberalism and constructivism.
Jackson, Robert, and Georg (2016) suggested that Realism mainly centers on the fact
that there is anarchy in the international system. However, anarchy here means the places
where there are no high authority governing relations between states. Therefore, here the
states are observed as the vital authority or sovereign over the citizens or the government.
Thus, as an outcome the paradigm mainly concentrates on attaining power to guarantee a
state’s survival from other rival states all across the world1. Beer, Francis and Robert
Hariman (2012) further stated that decisions usually are made under realistic mindset, which
does not center on the ethical contemplation behind their choice. As an alternative, the major
aspect in the decision is whether the states are attaining power over other states2. The next
approach is that of Liberalism, which just like realism recognizes that anarchy in the
international systems do exists. As per Onuf (2012) who have outlined that apart from this
similarity there is also an contradiction in reaction to anarchy because liberals consider that
making alliances will guides towards a shrink of anarchy. A well-known example of a liberal
1 Jackson, Robert, and Georg Sørensen. Introduction to international relations: theories and approaches.
Oxford university press, 2016.
2 Beer, Francis A., and Robert Hariman. "Realism and rhetoric in international relations." In Post-realism: The
rhetorical turn in international relations. Michigan State University Press, 2012.