Neo-liberalism lightened neo-realism's dark view of international politics. Comment.
Neo-realism presents a pessimistic picture of international politics, rooted in an anarchic system where states operate on self-help and compete for survival. It assumes states are rational actors, perpetually suspicious of others, with cooperation being rare, temporary, and based solely on self-interest. Security dilemmas dominate, making conflict and mistrust recurring features. Neo-liberalism, however, softened this bleak outlook by emphasizing the potential for cooperation even within an anarchic order. It argued that institutions, regimes, and growing interdependence create opportunities for collaboration by reducing uncertainty and transaction costs. Through repeated interactions, states can build trust, establish norms, and pursue mutual benefits. For example, economic interdependence makes war less attractive, while international organizations facilitate dispute resolution. Although neo-liberalism does not deny power politics, it highlights pathways to stability and cooperation that neo-realism largely dismisses. Thus, it “lightened” neo-realism’s dark view by showing how self-interested states might coexist more peacefully through structured cooperation.
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