Liberalism in International Relations

Liberalism is a theory and perspective in International Relations. After World War 1, scholars started to think that how peace can be achieved. Immanuel Kant in his work “perpetual Peace” in 1795 told how peace can be achieved. But in the twentieth century, when League of the Nations was formed, the liberal's ideas came into being.

The major Assumptions shared by Liberal scholars are:

1. Humans are rational and inherently good. They termed these two qualities as characteristics of humans. Rationality can be used to achieve one’s own interests as well as it can be used to live according to the rule of law.

2. There is a potential harmony of interests between people. They knew how to live collectively.

3. To achieve peace, cooperation is essential and is possible. In fact, cooperation is a central figure of all human beings.

4. For liberals government is necessary, but the centralization of power is inherently bad. They want to keep the market free from any influence.

5. Individual liberty in any case is of supreme political interest.

6. We can say that if people are inherently good, and there is a harmony of interest between people, then war is never in the interest of people. They in any case will try to avoid war.

7. We can also deduce that if the centralization of power is bad, then democracy is the best form of government.

8. By cooperation, we can achieve positive changes from international relations

9. Liberals emphasize more on the distribution of power. The centralization of power is bad.

10. Liberals believe in the interdependence upon states.

11. If there will be more trade among countries, then there will be less chance of war.

These are some core assumptions shared by many liberals. But with the passage of time and especially after the dominance of realism in international relations, new branches of liberalism have emerged.

Democratic Peace Theory says that liberal states fought the war but not with each other.

Liberal Concept of Pluralism says that no institution should be sovereign. Power should be distributed among many institutions.

There is also a difference between state and civil society.

Neo-Liberal or Neo-Classical economic theory used to justify the Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs).

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