International Political Theory in the Era of Globalization

Author: Li Yunxia
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-08-01
Features: This book examines the development and changes of Western international political theory, Marxist international political theory, and international political theory of developing countries from a global perspective. It discusses the evolution and development of international politics, focusing on war and peace, cooperation and conflict, and power and democracy, thereby revealing the new trends of international political theory in the era of globalization. International politics itself, both in theory and reality, has developed alongside economic globalization. Conversely, globalization arises from evolving state political practices, and without the political will of states, globalization would not exist. In reality, countries differ in their positions within globalization, leading to different perspectives in studying relevant theories and varying viewpoints. Since globalization originated in the West and has been driven by dominant Western powers, international political theory, which primarily studies the political relationships between states, has inevitably been dominated by Western academia. Therefore, international political theory has been a typical Western theory from its inception. Most of the works we encounter are Western, with a particular emphasis on those by American scholars, while domestic scholars' works mostly introduce and critique Western international political theory. Stanley Hoffmann, when discussing the evolution of Western international political theory, once said: "This discipline is both young and ancient." [American] Stanley Hoffmann, Contemporary International Relations Theory, translated by Lin Weicheng, Liu Xiaohong, et al., China Social Sciences Press, 1990, p. 2. He calls it young because, as an independent discipline, it only began to form and develop after the Second World War, with a history of at most 80 years. He calls it ancient because its theories have a long history, even dating back 2,000 years, such as Thucydides' views on war in ancient Greece, Aristotle's philosophy, and later Machiavelli's political theory, Hobbes' state theory, and so on. Their ideas have had a profound impact on the formation of Western international political theory. However, Western international political theory as an independent discipline began in the early 1920s and has continuously evolved and enriched itself with changes in the international relations landscape and the needs of objective political realities. Looking back at the development of international political theory in the 20th century, Western developed countries largely monopolized the process. The terminology, approaches, and important theoretical systems in international political theory were almost all proposed by scholars from Western developed countries. Especially after the Second World War, the United States played a central role. From the traditional realism established by Hans J. Morgenthau in the late 1940s and early 1950s, to the behavioralism and structuralism of the 1960s and 1970s, and the neoliberalism, neorealism, and neoconservatism based on globalism in the 1990s, the United States left its mark everywhere. It should be noted that the history and reality of developing countries, including China, are fundamentally different from those of Western countries. Therefore, when borrowing or absorbing Western international political theories, it should be based on an examination of one's own actual conditions, rather than blindly "copying." With the development of globalization, certain theories and concepts in traditional international political theory have been challenged to varying degrees. Meanwhile, some theories that have evolved or changed in reality have been "alienated" by some states as the basis for foreign policy decisions based on their national interests. Thus, in the study of international political theory, it is essential to be grounded in China's reality while also keeping an eye on the characteristics of the era of globalization, which holds special significance in the current academic field. As long as states still exist and humans are divided into national and ethnic units, the behavior of countries in different positions cannot have identical starting points, and sometimes their differences may be vast due to the pursuit of national interests. Comrade Qian Qichen once pointed out that economic globalization, while promoting economic development, also exacerbates economic inequality. This international economic imbalance, in turn, leads to political imbalance, shaking the global political landscape. Therefore, countries in different positions respond differently to globalization and adopt different strategies. This book examines Western international political theory, Marxist international political theory, and the international political theory of developing countries from the perspective of globalization, discussing the evolution and development of international politics, focusing on war and peace, cooperation and conflict, and power and democracy, thereby revealing the new trends of international political theory in the era of globalization. Unlike general Western works that emphasize power politics from the perspective of developed countries, this book highlights the rights politics of developing countries, including socialist states. It primarily interprets contemporary international political theory from the perspective of rights. The distinctive features of this book are highlighted in the following aspects.
First, it employs comparative methods. It analyzes major issues in international politics from different perspectives—Western international political theory, Marxist international political theory, and the international political theory of developing countries—thereby forming a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of specific issues. It strengthens the study and analysis of Marxism (especially Chinese Marxism) and developing countries in international political theory, enriching and supplementing their understanding of international politics. Second, it uses new materials. Gathering recent achievements and materials is one of the distinctive features of this book. The materials used in this book are up to the end of June 2004, providing a relatively objective analysis of the impact, changes, and trends of international political theory since the beginning of the new millennium due to economic globalization. Third, it deliberately innovates in structure. The book starts with the actors in international politics and explores major issues such as war and peace, cooperation and conflict, and power and democracy. It focuses on analyzing the generality and abstraction of international political theory and pays attention to the mainstream and direction of international political development. Fourth, it has strong practicality. It is a valuable theoretical book for undergraduate and graduate students in ideological and political education and international politics. It provides both foundational knowledge and research methods. Fifth, it has prominent contemporary characteristics. With the deepening of globalization, certain theories and concepts in traditional international political theory have been challenged to varying degrees, while the development of international politics has given rise to many new theories. This is the new requirement of the times. The authors of this book are teachers who have long been engaged in teaching and researching international political theory in universities, with a strong theoretical foundation, rigorous academic style, and innovative spirit. It is hoped that this book will be a beneficial read for contemporary college students and readers interested in international political issues. Due to the authors' limited knowledge, this book may have some shortcomings and imperfections, and we welcome criticism and corrections from experts, scholars, and readers.
Author, October 2004