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1st Great Debate
Two theoretical schools formed, liberalism and realism. The main line of thinking was that classical diplomacy and the balance of power. Liberalism wanted to avoid war while realists wanted to know why (power politics) "as it is". -
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Disciplines of International Relations
Theories concerning the gradual formation of today's academically taught International Relations -
2nd Great Debate
The epistemological debate in the 1950s and 1960s between behaviorism vs traditionalism. Behaviorists always ask: "What is the most appropriate way of pursuing and acquiring knowledge in international relations?" while traditionalists are more interpretive, historical, normative considering their judgement -
3rd Great Debate
Neorealism vs Neoliberalism.
The debate was an ontological debate concerning the subject matter of the discipline. The neo-neo debate or the inter-paradigm debate. Kenneth N.Waltz's neo-realist theories are still important today where his theories imply that we must abstract from the numerous different forces at work in international politics. Waltz regarded as the central puzzle of world politics is the international state-system and the struggle for power and security. -
4th Great Debate
Post-positivist approach. Rational or positivist approaches which include liberalism, realism and Marxism. According to positivist approaches, science in International Relations could be objective like natural science. Although the theory of constructivism insist that facts in social sciences are not objective.
