international relations 101 (classical music remix)
So, back when I was writing my International Relations paper, I decided to procrastinate writing said IR paper. Instead, William came up with the rather brilliant idea of setting some major theoretical approaches to IR to music -- classical music, specifically. The following is what resulted.
Disclaimer: Per usual, do comment if you download, as I would like to know that not all of my time goes to waste. Feel free to take the entire playlist or just individual tracks. Also, the extent of my education in IR theory amounts to less than one full semester of an introductory course, so apologies if I misrepresent constructivism, or something.
♫ download: international relations 101
--
1. Classical realism
♫ listen to: igor stravinsky -- the rite of spring: part i: the adoration of the earth: harbingers of spring (dances of the young girls and boys)
Classical realism argues that man, by nature, has an unlimited need for power. This constant aggressive drive is the root of conflict: states are created to check other humans, but in an anarchic international system, states recognise no higher authority. I picked a selection from Stravinsky's Rite of Spring because there is something very primeval about it, which I thought was rather appropriate.
2. Defensive realism
♫ listen to: ludwig van beethoven -- piano concerto no. 4 in g major, op. 58: andante con moto
Defensive realism believes survival to be the most fundamental of state motives, and to maximise their security, states seek to preserve the existing balance of power. In particular, according to the structural theory of international politics, the nature of international politics is determined by the number and relative power of the states in the system. The second movement of the fourth Beethoven piano concerto (author's note: one of my most favourite piano concertos ever ♥) features the piano and the strings in tense interplay, one responding to the other -- honestly, it just screamed security dilemma.
3. Offensive realism
♫ listen to: gustav holst -- the planets: mars, the bringer of war
Offensive realism has none of its counterpart's restraint: everything is about power and making sure that one's state has more of it than any other. The defensive realist scoffs at conquest as a state strategy; the offensive realist considers it a legitimate and often useful deployment of state resources. What music could be more appropriate than this highly militaristic piece, which wouldn't sound out of a place in the soundtrack of some war movie?
4. Neoliberal institutionalism
♫ listen to: antonio vivaldi -- violin concerto no. 1 in e major, op. 8 ("spring"): allegro
One of the focuses of liberal international relations theory, an institution is a set of rules that determine how states should behave. Institutions are primarily useful in their ability to facilitate cooperation among states by increasing transactions among states, creating a mutually reinforcing set of relationships, providing information about others' actions, and reducing transaction costs. I have always found Vivaldi's violin concertos to be rather perfectly ordered and thus perfectly representative of the mitigation of anarchy institutionalists would like to achieve.
5. Economic interdependence
♫ listen to: mauric ravel -- boléro
Through the processes of economic liberalisation, specialisation, and trade, the world has grown increasingly interdependent and wealthier as well. As prosperity rises for everyone and interstate linkages increase, the cost of military action rises, as disrupting one state's livelihood might just affect one's own. Because this theory argues that interdependence makes everyone better off in the long run, I thought immediately of Ravel's Boléro, which is really just one big orchestral crescendo.
6. Democratic-peace theory
♫ listen to: hector berlioz -- la marseillaise
The central maxim of this theory: democracies do not fight wars against other democracies because, so the argument goes, this union of democratic states is inherently more peaceful due to shared values that emphasise peaceful restraint and resolution of disputes. The implication of this theory, of course, is that a state can make itself safer by promoting democracy abroad. "La Marseillaise," as if this needs explaining, was written in the midst of the French Revolution, official sponsor of that catchy phrase, "Liberté, égalité, fraternité!" It also, you know, fought a war or two in the name of bringing such values to its oppressed neighbours.
7. Constructivism
♫ listen to: claude debussy -- images, livre 1: mouvement
Constructivism believes that international politics is defined by how actors construct and reconstruct ideas and identities through discourse. The material good (say, a nuclear weapon) has no inherent meaning; states must assign it meaning (UK having nukes is okay, but North Korea should stay as far away as possibly can from anything resembling enriched plutonium). For a constructivist, the nature of international politics is very fluid, which is why I picked a little something from the Impressionist master, Claude Debussy, to represent this theory.
8. Organisational pathologies
♫ listen to: philip glass -- etude no. 2
No longer is the state considered a unitary actor; instead, this approach holds a state's behaviour to be determined by groups within a state. Each organisation is concerned primarily with maintaining organisational health and reducing uncertainty in the face of challenges. Therefore, it will develop a set of standard operating procedures as well as its own culture. This, however, leads organisations to behave inefficiently and to have difficulty adapting to new situations. For this, I thought that Glass's minimalist technique -- the repetition of a simple motif -- was particularly appropriate.
9. Bureaucratic competition model
♫ listen to: johannes brahms -- piano quintet in f minor, op. 34: allegro non troppo
This theory is concerned with the interactions and struggles among domestic actors, whether they be the government, governmental bureaucracies, non-governmental organisations, or individuals. These actors are constantly fighting for their own self-interest and power, and this competition often leads to policy being sub-rational determined along the common denominator of their interests rather than some ideal. Obviously, I had to pick some work of very driving chamber music for this, although, in the case of this piano quintet, the result in quite wonderful.
10. Great man theory
♫ listen to: ludwig van beethoven -- symphony no. 3 in e flat major, op. 55 ("eroica"): allegro con brio
The great man theory holds that there are some individuals that have a disproportionate influence on international politics. It is, for instance, impossible to conceive of World War II and the preceding era without reference to Adolf Hitler. For such a school of thought, why not a grandiose symphony that was explicitly dedicated to a "heroic man" (i.e., Napoleon) by its composer?
Signing off, V.M. Bell
Disclaimer: Per usual, do comment if you download, as I would like to know that not all of my time goes to waste. Feel free to take the entire playlist or just individual tracks. Also, the extent of my education in IR theory amounts to less than one full semester of an introductory course, so apologies if I misrepresent constructivism, or something.
♫ download: international relations 101
--
1. Classical realism
♫ listen to: igor stravinsky -- the rite of spring: part i: the adoration of the earth: harbingers of spring (dances of the young girls and boys)
Classical realism argues that man, by nature, has an unlimited need for power. This constant aggressive drive is the root of conflict: states are created to check other humans, but in an anarchic international system, states recognise no higher authority. I picked a selection from Stravinsky's Rite of Spring because there is something very primeval about it, which I thought was rather appropriate.
2. Defensive realism
♫ listen to: ludwig van beethoven -- piano concerto no. 4 in g major, op. 58: andante con moto
Defensive realism believes survival to be the most fundamental of state motives, and to maximise their security, states seek to preserve the existing balance of power. In particular, according to the structural theory of international politics, the nature of international politics is determined by the number and relative power of the states in the system. The second movement of the fourth Beethoven piano concerto (author's note: one of my most favourite piano concertos ever ♥) features the piano and the strings in tense interplay, one responding to the other -- honestly, it just screamed security dilemma.
3. Offensive realism
♫ listen to: gustav holst -- the planets: mars, the bringer of war
Offensive realism has none of its counterpart's restraint: everything is about power and making sure that one's state has more of it than any other. The defensive realist scoffs at conquest as a state strategy; the offensive realist considers it a legitimate and often useful deployment of state resources. What music could be more appropriate than this highly militaristic piece, which wouldn't sound out of a place in the soundtrack of some war movie?
4. Neoliberal institutionalism
♫ listen to: antonio vivaldi -- violin concerto no. 1 in e major, op. 8 ("spring"): allegro
One of the focuses of liberal international relations theory, an institution is a set of rules that determine how states should behave. Institutions are primarily useful in their ability to facilitate cooperation among states by increasing transactions among states, creating a mutually reinforcing set of relationships, providing information about others' actions, and reducing transaction costs. I have always found Vivaldi's violin concertos to be rather perfectly ordered and thus perfectly representative of the mitigation of anarchy institutionalists would like to achieve.
5. Economic interdependence
♫ listen to: mauric ravel -- boléro
Through the processes of economic liberalisation, specialisation, and trade, the world has grown increasingly interdependent and wealthier as well. As prosperity rises for everyone and interstate linkages increase, the cost of military action rises, as disrupting one state's livelihood might just affect one's own. Because this theory argues that interdependence makes everyone better off in the long run, I thought immediately of Ravel's Boléro, which is really just one big orchestral crescendo.
6. Democratic-peace theory
♫ listen to: hector berlioz -- la marseillaise
The central maxim of this theory: democracies do not fight wars against other democracies because, so the argument goes, this union of democratic states is inherently more peaceful due to shared values that emphasise peaceful restraint and resolution of disputes. The implication of this theory, of course, is that a state can make itself safer by promoting democracy abroad. "La Marseillaise," as if this needs explaining, was written in the midst of the French Revolution, official sponsor of that catchy phrase, "Liberté, égalité, fraternité!" It also, you know, fought a war or two in the name of bringing such values to its oppressed neighbours.
7. Constructivism
♫ listen to: claude debussy -- images, livre 1: mouvement
Constructivism believes that international politics is defined by how actors construct and reconstruct ideas and identities through discourse. The material good (say, a nuclear weapon) has no inherent meaning; states must assign it meaning (UK having nukes is okay, but North Korea should stay as far away as possibly can from anything resembling enriched plutonium). For a constructivist, the nature of international politics is very fluid, which is why I picked a little something from the Impressionist master, Claude Debussy, to represent this theory.
8. Organisational pathologies
♫ listen to: philip glass -- etude no. 2
No longer is the state considered a unitary actor; instead, this approach holds a state's behaviour to be determined by groups within a state. Each organisation is concerned primarily with maintaining organisational health and reducing uncertainty in the face of challenges. Therefore, it will develop a set of standard operating procedures as well as its own culture. This, however, leads organisations to behave inefficiently and to have difficulty adapting to new situations. For this, I thought that Glass's minimalist technique -- the repetition of a simple motif -- was particularly appropriate.
9. Bureaucratic competition model
♫ listen to: johannes brahms -- piano quintet in f minor, op. 34: allegro non troppo
This theory is concerned with the interactions and struggles among domestic actors, whether they be the government, governmental bureaucracies, non-governmental organisations, or individuals. These actors are constantly fighting for their own self-interest and power, and this competition often leads to policy being sub-rational determined along the common denominator of their interests rather than some ideal. Obviously, I had to pick some work of very driving chamber music for this, although, in the case of this piano quintet, the result in quite wonderful.
10. Great man theory
♫ listen to: ludwig van beethoven -- symphony no. 3 in e flat major, op. 55 ("eroica"): allegro con brio
The great man theory holds that there are some individuals that have a disproportionate influence on international politics. It is, for instance, impossible to conceive of World War II and the preceding era without reference to Adolf Hitler. For such a school of thought, why not a grandiose symphony that was explicitly dedicated to a "heroic man" (i.e., Napoleon) by its composer?
Signing off, V.M. Bell