Kant and the Liberal Democratic Peace Theory - the Cases of Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan

Essay , 2010 , 9 Pages , Grade: 1.7

Politics - Political Theory and the History of Ideas Journal

Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan being the wars discussed most controversial in the last decade are also an important subject matter for the political theory (Kugler et al., 2004; Mearsheimer/Walt, 2003). Especially their use as falsifying cases against the liberal notion of democratic peace theory is prominent – though questionable (Panke/Risse, 2007). Kant and his successors in the tradition of the liberal democratic peace theory can to a certain extent be defended even considering the recent wars – at east on the surface; these were fought between despotic states and democracies and therefore do not stand in opposition to the liberal peace theory in its ‘narrow form’. Nevertheless, closer analysis reveals that the recent conflicts can be used as examples of severe violations of part of Kant’s predictions and arguments. These arguments will be exposed within the first part of the essay formulated by Immanuel Kant already in 1795 (Kant, 2007). Afterwards the theoretical discussion will be expanded towards contemporary followers, such as Doyle (1983). They form what is often stated as the liberal democratic peace theory. Subsequently, the cases of Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan as possible points of falsifications against the trustworthiness of the theoretical arguments presented beforehand will be analysed.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Kant's Perpetual Peace
• The World System
• The Republican Argument
• The Internationalism Argument
• The Cosmopolitanism Argument
• Kant's Legacy: Contemporary Liberal Democratic Peace Theory
• The Separate Peace Argument
• The General Peacefulness Argument
• Falsifying Cases: Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq
• The Kosovo War
• The Afghanistan War
• The Iraq War
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This essay examines the validity of Kant's liberal democratic peace theory in light of the wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. It explores whether these conflicts constitute falsifying cases against the theory. The essay delves into Kant's original arguments for perpetual peace, tracing their development in contemporary scholarship.

• Kant's three definitive articles for perpetual peace: republicanism, internationalism, and cosmopolitanism.
• The contemporary interpretations of Kant's theory, including the separate peace and general peacefulness arguments.
• The potential falsifying cases of the Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq wars.
• The implications of these conflicts for the validity of the liberal democratic peace theory.
• The enduring relevance of Kant's ideas in understanding international relations.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

The introduction sets the stage by outlining the essay's objectives and the importance of the wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq for the study of political theory. It introduces Kant's liberal democratic peace theory and its contemporary interpretations.

The second chapter delves into Kant's "Perpetual Peace," analyzing his key arguments for achieving perpetual peace. It examines his "world system" assumption, his three definitive articles (republicanism, internationalism, and cosmopolitanism), and their implications for the theory of democratic peace.

The third chapter explores the legacy of Kant's work in contemporary scholarship, focusing on the development of the liberal democratic peace theory. It discusses the different interpretations of the theory, including the separate peace and general peacefulness arguments.

The fourth chapter examines the potential falsifying cases of the wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. It analyzes each conflict in relation to Kant's theory, assessing their implications for the validity of the liberal democratic peace theory.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This essay focuses on the following keywords: liberal democratic peace theory, Kant, perpetual peace, republicanism, internationalism, cosmopolitanism, separate peace, general peacefulness, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraq, falsifying cases.

• College: Royal Holloway, University of London
• Grade: 1.7
• Author: Johannes Lenhard (Author)
• Publication Year: 2010
• Pages: 9
• Catalog Number: V147664
• ISBN (eBook): 9783640596232
• ISBN (Book): 9783640595884
• Language: English
• Tags: Liberal Theory, Kant, Democratic Peace Theory, Political Theory, Iraq War, Afghanistan War, Kosovo War, Liberal Peace, Utopian Peace, Perpetual Peace