POLI 243 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Mercantilism, Comparative Politics, Co-Determination
18 Apr 2013
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Chapter 1: competing theories and the evolution of paradigms. The carnage of wwi produced the first real drive towards understanding international relations via more scientific methods. Modern study of international relations resulted from the desire to prevent another world war from happening, so there was an emphasis on developing predictive and prescriptive theories. Idealists: built on the public revulsion after wwi, dominate the field of international relations. But first debate soon emerged, between those who focused on historical patterns, and those that worked in international law. Those who stressed the potential for international law to create more peaceful society of states became known as utopians (idealists) - stressed the possibility of perfecting the behaviour of man and thus perfecting the actions of states. Idealists stressed choice, rationality, and the potential or actual existence of a harmony of interests between individuals and therefore states.
