English School of Thought

English School of Thought Theories of International Relations and Foreign Policy Faculty of World Studies University of Tehran Supervisor: Professor Vaezzadeh Presenter: Setareh Keyhani December9, 2019 Table ★ What is English School? ★ The idea of ‘The English School’ as a historical construct. ★ The English School, International Relations, and Progress. ★ English School theory and its problems. ★ Conclusion ★ References What is English School? ★ The English School of thought is a part of IR theories which sometimes referred to as liberal realism, the International Society school or the British institutionalists. The Idea of ‘The English School’ as a Historical Construct The English School debate in the 1980s Development in the 1990s The nature of the English School The English School Debate in the 1980s ★ English School ↠ 20 years ★ After the publication in 1981 ↠ Roy Jones ★ Topics: 1)Whether there is indeed such a school; 2)Whether ‘the English School’ is an appropriate name for it 3) Who its leading members are 4) How they differ from other schools of thought about international relations 5) What their main strengths and weaknesses are. Roy Jones (1981) on the English School ★ Scientific approach of international relations ★ The primary role in history of IR. Suganami (1983) on the British institutionalists ★ Occupying the mainstream position in the British study of IR. Development in the 1990s ★ After Bull’s untimely death in 1985, some scholars followed his way. Such as: 1. Vincent 2. Wight 3. Andrew Hurrell 4. Tim Dunne 5. Nicholas Wheeler 6. Robert Jackson 7. Bull 8. James ★ Buzan’s article published in the American journal, International organisation (1993) and Little’s in the first issue of the European Journal of International Relations (1995). ★ Wight ↠ three traditions of international thought: ‘Rationalism’, ‘Realism’ and ‘Revolutionism’. ★ ★ Dunne, author and most hardworking scholar on the field of the English School. Dunne’s guideline 1)Self-identification with a particular tradition of inquiry. 2) An interpretive approach. 3) International theory as normative theory. The Nature of the English School ★ First English School more than just a school of thought ★ Secondly Dunne, it is a mistake to think of the English School as having clear insiders and outsiders. ★ Thirdly Recognise the history of English School. • The first steps in the English School • Who was the first person in this school of thought? What about now? • Who said what? Why? The effect? • Who is agree? Who is not? Why? The English School, International Relations, and Progress The English School and concept of a research enterprise The hard core or axiomatic basis of the English School The English School and Concept of a Research Enterprise ★ Any research enterprise proceeds within a worldview or overall sense of what is going on around us. ★ Thomas Kuhn identified the idea of a ‘‘paradigm’’ as holistic forming the foundation for research. ★ Four reasons convince us that the analysis that follows will dispel doubts, are: First, our framework, enables us to evaluate any school of thought within IR. Second, the research framework is accepted in modern philosophy of social science. Third, the general usage of our framework allows the researcher to describe and evaluate the School from either within or outside its boundaries. Fourth, we follow Martin Hollis and Steve Smith. ‘‘outside’’ and ‘‘inside’’ stories to be told about IR corresponding, respectively, to explanation and understanding the challenging to combine. ★ English School scholarship believes that international statessystems become international societies because members have a common culture and develop mutual interests. The English School Along the Continuum of Aggregation: From Worldview to Hypotheses The Hard Core or Axiomatic Basis of the English School ★ The founder of the English School is Wight. ★ The four axioms with parametric status in the English School are as follows: 1. The primary actors in the international system sovereign↠ ‘‘states’’ city states or nation-states. 2. In international relations, there is a ‘‘system of states’’ they may sufficient impact on each other’s decision. 3. There is ‘‘anarchy’’ in the international system. ★ Wight ↠‘‘international society is a society unlike any other, for it is the most comprehensive form of society on earth.’’ It has four characteristics: 1)An unique society collected from the other fully organised societies states. 2)The number of members is small. 3)Members are more different than individuals. 4)The members are stars whose policies are based on the expectation of survival. English School Theory and Its Problems English School summary World society and the problems and potentials of English School theory The main areas of weakness in English School theory English School ★ ★ Robert Jackson English School is a variety of theoretical inquiries which include of IR as a world not merely of power or produce or wealth or capacity or domination. English School has *Recognition *Association *Membership *Equality *Legitimate interests *Rights *Reciprocity *Customers & conversations *Agreements &disagreements *Disputes *Offences *Injuries *Damages *Reparations *Normative vocabulary World Society and the Problems and Potentials of English School Theory ★ Two main elements of English School are 1. Three key concepts 2. Theoretically pluralist approach Three Key Concepts ★ International System: (Hobbes and Machiavelli / Realism) ↠ power politics and puts international anarchy at the centre of IR theory. ★ International Society: (Grotius/ Rationalism) ↠ institutionalisation shared interest and identity between states and puts the certain and keeping of shared norms, rules and institutions at the centre of IR theory. ★ World Society: (Kant/ Revolutionism) ↠ individuals, nonstate organisation and global population as a whole as the focus of global social identities and arrangements, and puts supremacy of the state-system of the centre of IR theory. Theoretically Pluralist Approach ★ Pluralists think that the sovereignty/nonintervention principles restrict international theory to fairly minimal rules of coexistence. Argue the diversity of humankind. ★ Solidarity thinks that international society can develop norms, rules and institutions, covering both coexistence issues and cooperation in pursuit of shared interests. Believe that society should do more for human rights. ★ English School theory represents in at least three different ways: 1)As a set of ideas to be found in the minds of statesmen. 2)As a set of ideas to be found in the minds of political theories. 3)As a set of externally imposed concepts that define the material and social structures of the international system. The Main Areas of Weakness in English School Theory ★ Levels ★ Sectors ★ Boundaries ★ Normative conflicts ★ Methodology ★ Levels ↠ In both classical and contemporary English School ★ Level is the system or global one. ★ Three key concepts international systems, international society, world society. ★ Sectors ↠Some similarities between the English School’s problem with levels and sectors ★ Both involve a missing element that plays a crucial role in international and world society. ★ Under levels, the missing element is sub-global or regional under sectors it is the economy. ★ Boundaries ↠Theoretical part of English School generates three boundaries separating its three key concepts. ★ Two of these are not problematic in the concepts on side of them, defensive realism and pluralism make a good power-maximising imperialism. ★ Boundary between the international society and the world society is both unclear and controversial. ★ Normative Conflicts ↠ two linked normative conflicts within the English School. ★ One is between supporter of pluralist and solidarist conceptions of international society. ★ Two is between international society and world society (state rights/ individual rights). ★ Methodological ↠ two problems ★ First need any sustained effort to create a typology of international or world societies. ★ Second what is need for the theoretical pluralism. Conclusion ★ English School theorists answer an essential question: ‘How is one to incorporate the co-operative aspect of international relations into the realist conception of the conflictual nature of the international system?’ ★ Three distinct spheres at play in international politics: 1-International system(realism ) / 2-International society(rationalism ) / 3-world society(revolutionism). ★ International system based on realism and world society based on revolutionism. ★ The English School focuses on norms, rules, institutions and values and develops a new normative thinking into IR. ★ Five main area of weakness: levels, sectors, boundaries, normative conflicts, methodology. References ★ Andrew Linklater, Hidemi Suganami, 2006 the English School of International Relations, Cambridge University Press, Chapter 1. ★ Balkan Devlen, Patrick James and Ozgur Ozfamar, the English School, International Relations, and Progress. International Studies Review, vol 7, no2(June 2005), pp. 171-197 . ★ Barry Buzan, from International to World Society? English School Theory and Social Structure of Globalisation, Cambridge University Press, Chapter 1. “If we want everyone to be well, we need to rethink everything we do and the way we are doing it in the world .” –Sadhguru