The Theory Of Idealism In International Relations

1253 Words6 Pages
The Theory of Idealism in International Relations.
Ojochogwu Aladi Enape Schiller International University.

The theories in International relations are assertions that try to explain and justify how international structures work and the characteristics of ever changing interactions across territories. Each theory has been developed and grounded on various perspectives relating to human nature and the world in general, but as the world is constantly evolving, the usefulness of each theory is also constantly being tested in the face of critical issues as they arise and the success or failure of these applications will determine in essence which of these theories will stand the test of time. This essay is an analysis of the theory of Idealism and whether or not its application in modern international politics is capable of working successfully to solve the common goods problem.
The Theory of Idealism
Idealism is one of the major theories in international relations. “The basic insight of this theory is that the national characteristics of individual States matter for their international relations.” (Slaughter, 2011) This means that all states do not have the same goals based on selfish interests but that a state will relate with another state based on its internal norms and culture. Basically, idealists believe that the human nature is not inherently bad and that states are capable of cooperating to the extent of forgoing their personal interests in order to