Liberalism

Liberalism is often seen as a counterweight to realism, often emphasising the potential for cooperation, progress, and the role of non-state actors. While acknowledging the importance of states and the anarchic nature of the international system, the liberal tradition makes a number of distinct departures from realism.

First, unlike realism, liberalism rejects the inevitability of war, suggesting that change and cooperation can reduce conflict. Second, liberalism puts emphasis on the role of non-state actors. Thus international organisations, NGOs, and civil society can be influential in shaping state behaviour. Third, ‘low Politics’, such as trade opportunities, and human rights debates, can be as significant as military and security concerns. In that respect, ‘interdependence’ – the mutual reliance on each other to achieve shared interests – plays a crucial role in advancing cooperation among states. Fourth, liberalism promotes the ‘democratic peace theory’, which suggests that liberal democracies instead of going to war with each other, they aim to promote democracy worldwide. Fifth, liberalism advocates for protecting human rights globally, sometimes justifying humanitarian interventions or regime changes to address severe abuses.

Like realism, liberalism has a long historical ancestry and is closely associated with theorists including: John Locke (seventeenth century), Immanuel Kant (eighteenth century), and Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962), who put emphasis on human rights, democracy and international cooperation. Early twentieth-century liberalism, influenced by Woodrow Wilson, promoted peaceful relations through institutions like the League of Nations. Modern liberal theorists such as Robert Keohane and Helen Milner focus on institutional cooperation and interdependence, highlighting the well-being of human beings in international legal and political institutions.