NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITY OF

MALAYSIA
FACULTY OF DEFENCE AND
MANAGEMENT STUDIES -DEPARTMENT OF
STRATEGIC STUDIESTHEORIES AND APPROACHES IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
(DIS 1123)

Prepared by:
Miss Ima

L3 : LIBERALISM

CONTENT
Introduction
Origins of Liberalism
What is Liberalism?
Intellectual and Influences

INTRODUCTION

Liberalism holds that human nature is basically

good and innate goodness makes societal progress
possible.

Evil or unacceptable human behavior, such as war,

is according to liberals, the product of inadequate or
corrupt social institutions and of misunderstanding
among leaders.

Liberals believe that war or any other aggressive

behavior is not evitable and can be moderated
through institutional reform.

Through collective action, states can cooperate to

eliminate the possibility of war.

ORIGIN OF LIBERALISM

The origins of liberal theory are found in Enlightenment

optimism, nineteenth-century political and economic
liberalism, and twentieth-century Wilsonian idealism.
The contribution of the eighteenth-century
Enlightenment to liberalism rest on the Greek idea that
individuals are rational human beings, able to
understand the universally applicable laws governing
both nature and human society.
Understanding such laws means that people have the
capacity to improve their conditions by creating a just
society.
If a just society is not attained, then the fault rests with
inadequate institutions, the result of a corrupt
environment

Has root in idealism, ie, believes morality, law & IO

as basic of IR.
Classical liberal theories believe;
i)
Individual most important units of analysis &
claimant of rights
ii)
State plays a minimum role, acting as arbiter
iii) Utilitariants (eg Jeremy Bentham) view people as
rational & able to decide what is best for
themselves without government inteference.

FOUR DIMENSIONAL DEFINITION OF

LIBERALISM (DOYLE 1997:207)
1. all citizens are juridical equal and possess
certain basic rights to education, access to a free
press and religious toleration
2. legislative assembly of the state possesses only
the authority invested in it by the people, not abuse
basic right.
3. a key dimension of the liberty of the individual is
the right to own property
4. largely market driven and not one that is
subordinate to bureaucratic regulation and control,
either domestically or internationally.

WHAT IS LIBERALISM?

1.

2.
3.

4.

The liberalism image of international relations is

based on four key assumptions:
The nonstates actors are important entities in
world politics.
The state is not the unitary actor
Liberalist challenge the realist assumption of the
state as rational actor.
The agenda of international politics is extensive.

Intellectual and
Influences

BARON DE MONTESQUIEU (1689-1755)

Reflect Enlightenment thinking.
He argued that human nature is not defective and
that problems are created as man enters civil
society and form separate nations.
War is a product by society, not an attribute
inherent in individuals.
To overcome defect in society, education is
imperative, it prepare for one for civil life.
Group of states are united according to the law of
nations, which regulated conduct even during war.

IMMANUEL KANT
The core of Enlightenment beliefs.
International anarchy can be overcome through
some kind of collective action a federation of
states in which sovereignties would be left intact.

??????????
Liberalism at the 19 century????????
Liberalism at the 20 century????????