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    Chapter 8: Marxism and Critical Theory: International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity

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    Marxism and critical theory reject liberal and realist theories of international relations as too limited. They advocate a relational understanding of history and see politics expansively as struggles over the shaping of society. Capitalism is viewed as productive but also disabling, exploitative, and undemocratic. Marxist theorists argue imperialism stems from capitalist countries seeking resources and markets, fueling potential inter-imperialist rivalry. Critical theorists emphasize the political implications of all theories and the role of ideology and consent in maintaining power structures. Marxism and critical theory examine how global capitalism structures states' actions and security interests.

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    Chapter 8: Marxism and Critical Theory: International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity

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    Marxism and critical theory reject liberal and realist theories of international relations as too limited. They advocate a relational understanding of history and see politics expansively as struggles over the shaping of society. Capitalism is viewed as productive but also disabling, exploitative, and undemocratic. Marxist theorists argue imperialism stems from capitalist countries seeking resources and markets, fueling potential inter-imperialist rivalry. Critical theorists emphasize the political implications of all theories and the role of ideology and consent in maintaining power structures. Marxism and critical theory examine how global capitalism structures states' actions and security interests.

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    Marxism and critical theory reject liberal and realist theories of international relations as too limited. They advocate a relational understanding of history and see politics expansively as struggles over the shaping of society. Capitalism is viewed as productive but also disabling, exploitative, and undemocratic. Marxist theorists argue imperialism stems from capitalist countries seeking resources and markets, fueling potential inter-imperialist rivalry. Critical theorists emphasize the political implications of all theories and the role of ideology and consent in maintaining power structures. Marxism and critical theory examine how global capitalism structures states' actions and security interests.

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    236 views11 pages

    Chapter 8: Marxism and Critical Theory: International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity

    Uploaded by

    equitytrader
    Marxism and critical theory reject liberal and realist theories of international relations as too limited. They advocate a relational understanding of history and see politics expansively as struggles over the shaping of society. Capitalism is viewed as productive but also disabling, exploitative, and undemocratic. Marxist theorists argue imperialism stems from capitalist countries seeking resources and markets, fueling potential inter-imperialist rivalry. Critical theorists emphasize the political implications of all theories and the role of ideology and consent in maintaining power structures. Marxism and critical theory examine how global capitalism structures states' actions and security interests.

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    International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity

    Chapter 8: Marxism and Critical Theory


    By Mark Rupert

    Learning objectives
    After this lecture you should be able to: Understand the key principles of Marxist and critical theory Be able to apply Marxist and critical theory logics in IR Have an understanding of the relevance of Marxism and critical theory in contemporary IR

    Marxism and IR
    Marxism is a distinct tradition in IR theory which rejects the liberal and the realist theories: as limited and limiting theoretical world views and as characterised by conservative politics

    Core precepts of Marxist theory


    Marxist tradition is a varied tradition building upon the work of Karl Marx. It advances a critical interpretation of capitalism. Marxism advocates a relational and process-oriented understanding of human life.

    Dialectical understanding of history


    Dialectical perspective: human agents exist within relatively enduring social structures, which the agents reproduce or alter through their actions. The dialectical view of society challenges the empiricist approaches that study laws of social life. Marxism defines politics in an expansive way. Politics is seen as struggle over the shaping the kind of world we live in and the kind of people we are.

    Capitalism
    Capitalism = a form of social life based on historically specific class relations between capital owning class and wage labourers.

    Capitalism is productive but also Disabling Exploitative Undemocratic

    Imperialism
    Marxist theorists of imperialism argue that capitalist accumulation is what drives major capitalist countries into colonial expansionism, creating the potential for inter-imperialist rivalry on a global scale. Classical theories of imperialism were economically deterministic.

    Western Marxism
    Frankfurt School theorists are wary of economic focus of Marxism and they emphasise that all theories are permeated by values and norms and have political implications for the social world. Antonio Gramsci developed theory of hegemony. Hegemony is a form of political power that relies upon consent rather coercion.

    Marxism and critical theory in IR


    Key Marxist and critical theorists in IR include Ashley, Linklater and Cox. In explaining the world politics, Marxism and critical theory studies the structures of global capitalism and the ideologies and agents situated within these structures. It emphasises the capital-driven nature of states actions in the global capitalist system and the need for states to maintain control of oil in order to maintain global capitalism.

    Case study: US War on Terror


    From a Marxist/critical theory perspective the War on Terror should be understood in the context of ideology of economic security. Iraq War cannot be understood in isolation from capitalism in its historical form: Iraq holds important oil reserves, a key requirement for maintenance of US power and global capitalist order.

    Conclusion
    Marxism is not a domestic theory, not a mere economic theory, and not necessarily economically deterministic. Some theorists have been pessimistic about the role of Marxism and critical theory in contemporary world politics but new social movements that explicitly connect capitalism with US imperial power remind us of the remaining relevance of Marxism and critical theory in world political explanation.

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