Assess The Role Of Liberalism In Peace Shiping Tang

Niccolo Machiavelli once said, “If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared”. Realism, at its core, believes that states play an international game in which they either conquer, or disappear. Like Machiavelli, realists believe that the only one that can can help a state is the state itself. Liberalism on the other hand has a more open-minded approach. Like Realism, liberal thought believes that the system in which states interact is anarchic, however Liberalism maintains a position in which theoretical groups can be created to manage such interaction as well as function independently in the international system. Realism, in most conceptions, ignores international institutions . Peace

Tang states that in a realist world all states are power maximizers and, at the outset, those that are not power maximizers change their ways or disappear (Tang, 36). Tang explains that as states disappear those once offensive realist states transition to being defensive (Tang, 40). In a manner of thinking states have more to lose now because of all the territory they had gained. As it becomes harder and harder to expand, states begin to transition their means of production to maintaining their power through defensive means. Tang explains that Realism actually evolves from explaining an offensive realist world to a explaining a defensive realist world (Tang 36). Tang’s defensive realist world values international non-state actors, but not as a means of peace, rather as a means to punish unsuccessful aggressors (Tang, 41). Ultimately, according to Tang, this lends itself to his idea because states will act more defensively because it will be harder to be an

The security dilemma is when a state seeks to protect itself, it instills fear in surrounding states. This leads to instability and arms races which can cause conflict. It begs the question, why increase state security if it might undermine security? Realism does not believe that international organizations can temper relationships between states. However, as Tang points out, defensive realist states rely heavily on international organizations to limit the security maximization capabilities of their neighbours. These organizations, according to Tang, can create even larger gaps between the power of a state and their neighbours. Liberalism conversely, approaches the security dilemma from a completely different angle. Liberalism believes that international organizations can work to instil values between multiple states enabling them to either build alliances or create a trust that would allow them to feel comfortable enough to seek security freely. In essence Liberalism believes that international organizations allow states to seek a mutually beneficial outcome similar to that of the Nash