diff between state sov and impact of global organisation

• Sovereignty: Absolute (Realism) vs. Pooled (Liberalism)

  • Realists (e.g. John Mearsheimer) argue that sovereignty must remain absolute for states to survive. Sovereignty is a zero-sum asset: once you give it away, you weaken your state.
  • Liberals (e.g. Francis Fukuyama, Robert Keohane) argue that sovereignty can be pooled or shared to solve collective action problems and increase global governance efficiency.
  • EU coordinated military aid to Ukraine shows pooled sovereignty in defence decisions.
  • WHO pandemic treaty talks demonstrate liberal willingness to pool health sovereignty post-COVID.
  • John Locke (Liberal): sovereignty exists through consent and can be delegated, aligning with liberal pooling of authority.
• Point: Actors: State Centric (Realism) vs. Pluralist (Liberalism)

  • Realists like Kenneth Waltz view the international system as anarchic and composed solely of states, which act in rational self-interest.
  • Liberals (e.g. Keohane and Nye) view the international system as interdependent, with non state actors playing a key role in cooperation and shaping outcomes.
  • COP28 featured major corporations, NGOs, and states forming energy transition agreements.
  • ICC issuing arrest warrant for Putin reflects liberal belief in international law restraining state power.
  • Thomas Hobbes (Realist-aligned): humans (and thus states) are self-interested and cannot be trusted to cooperate.
• Human Nature: Conflictual (Realism) vs. Cooperative (Liberalism)

  • Realists (e.g. Mearsheimer, Waltz) argue that states mirror human nature: self-help, fear, and mistrust dominate international relations.
  • Hobbes: pessimistic view of human nature → states must rely on power and dominance.
  • Liberals, particularly Fukuyama, believe in the potential for progress and peace — arguing that liberal democracy encourages cooperation and the “end of history”.
  • G7 and G20 cooperation on climate finance and debt restructuring reflects belief in interdependence and mutual gains.