Setyo Aji Pambudi

071112044
The English School of Thought

The 'English School' of international relations theory, also known as Liberal Realism,
Rationalism or the British institutionalists, maintains that there is a 'society of states' at the
international level, despite the condition of 'anarchy' (literally the lack of a ruler or world state).
Its strongest influence is functionalism, but it also draws heavily on realist and critical theories.
Rationalism in internasional relation is a theoretical qualification to the pessimism of realism
and the idealism of liberal internationalism.
Rationalists view states as comprising an international society, not merely an
international system. States come to be a part of an international society by accepting that
various principles and institutions govern the way in which they conduct their foreign relations.
In doing so, it can be argued, states also display a commitment to the idea that it is inappropriate
to promote the national interest without any regard for international law and morality.
International society theory focuses on the shared norms and values of states and how
they regulate international relations. Examples of such norms include diplomacy, order, and
international law. Unlike neo-realism, it is not necessarily positivist. Theorists have focused
particularly on humanitarian intervention, and are subdivided between solidarists, who tend to
advocate it more, and pluralists, who place greater value in order and sovereignty.
The English School theorist believe that International Society in International relations,
as a represents a society of states. This international society can be detected, it is argued, in the
ideas that animate the key institutions that regulate international relations: war, the great powers,
diplomacy, the balance of power, and international law, especially in the mutual recognition of
sovereignty by states.
There are differing accounts, within the school, concerning the evolution of those ideas,
some (like Martin Wight) arguing their origins can be found in the remnants of medieval
conceptions of societas Christiana, and others such as Hedley Bull, to the concerns of sovereign
states to safeguard and promote basic goals, especially their survival.
Most English School understandings of international society blend these two together,
maintaining that the contemporary society of states is partly the product of a common civilization
- the Christian world of medieval Europe, and before that, the Roman Empire - and partly that of
a kind of Lockean contract.
The name 'English School' was first coined by Roy Jones in an article published in the
Review of International Studies in 1981 which presented what Jones called a 'case for its
closure'. Some other descriptions - notably that of 'British institutionalists' (Hidemi Suganami) -
have been suggested, but are not generally used.
The 'English-ness' of the school is questionable - many of its most prominent members
are not English - and its intellectual origins are disputed. One view (that of Hidemi Suganami) is
that its roots lie in the work of pioneering inter-war scholars like the South African Charles
Manning, the founding professor of the Department of International Relations at the London
School of Economics. Others (especially Tim Dunne and Brunello Vigezzi) have located them in
the work of the British Committee on the Theory of International Politics, a group created in
1959 under the chairmanship of the Cambridge historian Herbert Butterfield, with financial aid
from the Rockefeller Foundation. Both positions acknowledge the central role played by the
theorists Martin Wight, Hedley Bull (an Australian) and John Vincent.


Refferences :
Jackson, Robert and Sorensen, Georg. 1999. Introduction to International Relations. New
York: Oxford University Press, Inc.
The I R Theory Knowledge Base, The IR Theory Web Site. January 3, 2012. Retrieved 05
April, 2012, from http://www.irtheory.com/know.htm
O'Connor, T. Aug 29, 2010. I nternational Relations Theory Overview, MegaLinks in
Criminal Justice. Retrieved 10 April 2012 from
http://www.drtomoconnor.com/3040/3040lect02a.htm
Little, Richard. 2005. The English School's Contribution to the study of I nternational
Relations, IRChina.org Retrieved 11 April, 2012, from
http://www.irchina.org/en/xueren/foreign/view.asp?id=194
English school of international relations theory (2012). In NationMaster -
Encyclopedia. Retrieved 11 April, 2012, from
http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/English-school-of-international-relations-
theory