Traditional and Scientific Approaches to the Study of International Relations

                                       

Presentation Layouts

•Background

•Traditional Approach

•Scientific Approach

•Background

•All most matters i.e. war, international conference, diplomacy, world sports, intelligence, international trade, foreign aid and assistance, immigration, tourism, hijacking, global endemic, violent revolution, etc.   are associated with  domain of international relations;

•Before the First World War(1914-1919), the study of international relations was shared by history, law and philosophy. Historians  were used to  explanation of phenomenon related to diplomacy and strategy.  Jurists were used to description of practices of treaties and national. Philosophers were used to assumption of war, peace, human nature and justice;

•More than 12 million people were killed in the scourge of First World War. Resultantly,  the world opinion was emerged with a view to arrangement of collective security challenging the assumption of war as an instrument of statecrafts;

•In the twenties,  the study as well as teaching of international relations was commenced in several American Universities.  But most of the scholars followed the way of legalistic-moralistic approach and termed war as an accident and a sin;

•The League of Nations was established in 1919 as a World Government expecting that it would be an antidote for peace and security in the world;

•The optimism that international law and international organization are  elixir for peace could not be prolonged. Unfortunately, the scourge of Second World War began taking lives of about 40 million people; and

•After the War, the new generation of scientists came into existence advocating the policy based on power that can maintain peace and order in the world.

  

Traditional Approach

Traditional approach was prevalent in international relations prior to behavior and post behavior approaches(1960);

•Study of international relations from historical, economic and philosophical perspectives is even traditional approach;

•Traditional approach- international relations is the study of actions and reactions of sovereign states and ruling elites;

•They perceive international relations to study war and peace. Inter state relations is either cooperative or conflictive.  At the time of conflict and cooperation between states,  there is possibility of bargaining and exchange of military-economic assistance respectively;

•Of the theorists on traditional approach, Morgenthau and Hoffmann are  quoted;

•According to Morgenthau, the behavior of states is reflected by behavior of  diplomats and soldiers.  The behavior of diplomats and soldiers is determined by the talent instilled in them, and demands and interests of national politics;

•Other basic concepts come with international relations i.e. National Interest,  Balance of Power and Equilibrium;

•According to Hoffmann,  the determinants of foreign policy can be separated from each other and uncertain is permanent in international politics; and

•To fulfill their vested interests, sovereign states use to come to forefront of wars by violating existence of supreme justice.

Scientific Approach

•Behavioral scientists  do not limit  international relations to congested circle of any social sciences i.e. political science, economic and history. They assume international relations the interdisciplinary;

•Scientitists have used quantitative methods and have built model;

•They criticize traditional scientists for being impressionistic and flexible which is dysfunctional in terms of scientific sturdy and researches;

•Empirical survey, inductive method and deductive hypothesis are used widely  which convert facts into quantifiable data. With which, the conclusion is drawn;

•Among the scientists of scientific approach, Jeorge Burton, Karl Deutsch, Herold Guchkob, Martin Cent, JD Singer  etc. are well known;

•Without investigating on facts, the conclusions derived from guess  are not credible;

•As there are to much influencing factors in international relations,  the theories of international relations is impossible to build first time through pursuance of their studies.  So scientists want to develop Middle-range Theory by studying limited variables;

•Singer and Smal  have studied on whether the coalition/alliance  is successful or not during the periods of 1815 to 1945 to stop war;

•Holstani  made content analysis on public statements(1953-1959) made by John Foster Dales, former American Foreign Minister; and

•These days,  there is tendency of using research tools to study behavior, policies and activities of the states . The credit goes to the scientific methods.

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