1. LIBERALISM

2. FIRST, A WARNING:
• The term „liberal‟ can be a tricky concept for
American students.
• In American culture, the word „liberal‟ has a
somewhat different meaning than in many other
parts of the world.
• Pay attention to how the word is being used and in
what context.

3. ORIGIN OF LIBERALISM
• The Enlightenment
• John Locke Second Treatise on Civil Government
• Adam Smith Wealth of Nations
• Immanuel Kant Perpetual Peace
• Focus on individual freedom and reason
• In economic decisions (Free markets)
• In political decisions (Democracy)

4. LIBERAL VIEW OF “STATE OF NATURE”
• Note: Not a Hobbesian state of a “war of all against all”
• Humans are generally reasonable and generally
peaceful in state of nature
• Locke‟s Liberal View: State of nature had
inconveniencies, but it is not “nasty, brutish and short”
• Positive view of the pursuit of self-interest
• This view of human nature leads liberals to a more
optimistic view regarding the possibilities of cooperation
under anarchical conditions.

5. LIBERALISM AS PARADIGM IN IR
• Liberalism has a particular meaning in the context
of scholarly study of IR
• Bova‟s definition: A Paradigm that suggests that global
cooperation is possible and that challenges the Realist
assumption that competitive, power oriented, violent
character of world politics is inevitable.
• And like in Realism, there are „flavors‟ of Liberalism

6. © 2012 Pearson Education

7. THE LIBERAL RESPONSE TO THE
PRISONERS DILEMMA
• International Relations doesn‟t happen in a vacuum. States
interact with each other over time in „iterated interactions‟—not
single interaction
• “Shadow of the Future”:
• States know they will have future interactions with each other and they also
know they can benefit through cooperation
• Liberal view of absolute versus relative gains:
• States will pursue absolute gains (or mutual gain—working together so they
are both better off)
• “Tit-for-tat” strategy is most rational---try cooperating first, if
cooperation is reciprocated, keep cooperating, if cooperation is
not reciprocated, then defect.

8. AN EXAMPLE OF “TIT FOR TAT”
• SALT: Strategic Arms Limitations Talk
• Arms reduction agreement between U.S. and Soviets.

9. HOW CAN COOPERATION EMERGE
UNDER CONDITIONS OF ANARCHY?
• Three strands of Liberalism
• Liberal Commercialism
• Integrated markets cooperation and peace
• Economic Interdependence
• Liberal Institutionalism-
• International Institutions cooperation and peace
• Collective Security (versus Balance of Power)
• Liberal Internationalism
• Democracy cooperation and peace
• Democratic Peace Theory
• Shared and key point of all „flavors‟ of Liberalism:
• The negative aspects of anarchy can be mitigated and
cooperation is possible.

10. KEY POINTS:
• From a Liberal perspective the Security Dilemma is not
inevitable.
• The vicious circle of the Security Dilemma can be
changed into a virtuous circle of peace and
cooperation through the Kantian Triangle.
• Consider how the European Union evolved---it changed
from being locked in a vicious Security Dilemma in to a
peaceful and cooperative security community.

11. KANTIAN TRIANGLE

12. GLOBALIZATION
AND LIBERAL THINKING
• Interdependence International Cooperation
• Consider how Gordon Brown‟s Ted Talk---
• Notion of „enlightened self-interest‟
• national interest and global interest are not at odds, but are
highly interconnected
• Cooperation is possible, states need to think in terms of mutual
gain, not narrow self-interest.

13. HARD POWER VERSUS SOFT POWER
• Hard power-Use of economic resources and military strength
to get what you want. “Carrots” (rewards) and “Sticks”
(threats). Realists focus on Hard Power.
• Soft power- Getting others to want what you want. Liberals
say soft power is important too.
• “A leader is best when people barely know he exists, not so
good when people obey and acclaim him; worst when they
despise him.” Lao-tsu 630 BC
• Role of reputation, power of persuasion, power of norms
• This idea of soft power was the focus of the Joseph Nye‟s Ted Talk
• “smart power”—knowing how to use both hard and soft to achieve
goals