This is an organization that aims at representing a rational opinion of the world, making the voice heard where public are informed and judgement is made. The organization argues with the fact of logical approach to human problems and there are suggested alternatives that defend various freedoms of thoughts and civil liberties. However, the organization faces superstition and because of that they aim at promoting an open society, implement the methods and recognize how useful the human imagination is.
Rationalism
This is a point of view that counts on the priority of reasoning and it aims at establishing a system of philosophy and principles that can be verified by experience. Additionally, it should be verified independently from all assumptions of the authority.
Background
The organization was founded in December 1995 and that was during its first conference being held at New Delhi with couple of delegates. The first president of the new International organization was previously the secretary general of the Indian Rationalist Association, Sanal E.
The second Rationalist International conference was organized at Kerala,2000 and in which famous rationalist intellects from various parts of the world attended and opened a discussion about the Rationalist Agenda for another time. It was in this conference where by Paul K. received the first International Rationalist Award. Paul he has been the founder and Center for Inquiry in the United States.
The third conference of the Rationalist International was held in 2002 in New Delhi, India. It was during this conference that Jim Herrick received the second International Rationalist Award. Herrick is the Director of the Rationalist Press Association in the United Kingdom.
The organization has its Headquarters in Helsinki, Finland and its major services include youth camps, conferences and lecturers. It includes several honorary associates from all over the world.
Rationalism in International Relations
Rationalism sets a projecting framework in the International Relations assistance. Rationalism in International Relations usually tend to explain circumstances that brings about patterns of behavior. The major concepts usually discussed in the Rationalist International Research are as follows:
- Incomplete Information
- Credibility
- Trust
- Audience Cost
- Transaction Costs
- Signaling
Rationalism Research Protocols
Rationalism Research follows the following procedure:
- The analyst identifies an event that needs to be explained
- Relevant actors are positing by the analyst.
- Choices available to the actors are proposed.
- The analyst links all the preferences of actors to the available choices set.
- Conditions that are under an outcome are explained if they behave relevantly to the actors.
Actors do not have to be very rational and that’s explains the fact that rationalism and materialism are not
Advantages of Rationalism
- Rationalist believe that for a phenomenon to exist, there has to be a reason.
- Rationalism usually tries to get the already existing principles that are behind phenomenon and that no one has created and are independent of each one’s perception.
Limitations of Rationalism
- Rationalism approaches may be important while trying to explain certain interactions but on the other hand, it is limited to explain how those interests developed in the first place.
Difference between rationalism and constructivism
Rationalism usually go by the norms due to calculations and materialistic incentives whereas constructivism complies by with norms brought about by the socialization and social learning in general.
Limitations of a Rationalist and a Constructivist
Constructivists argues with the fact that although rationalism techniques can be useful to explain different interactions, rationalism can be limited in explaining the emerging of the interests.
Rational Choice Institutionalism
This approach is studied theoretically in institutions whereby there are arguments of the actors to maximize their utility and that most institutions affect each individual’s rational behavior. This kind of approach has been enforced to the study of both local and international institutions.
It is one of the major approaches in institutionalist literature along with sociological and historical institutionalism.
Theories of International Relations in Rationalism
There are many theories that define rationalism in International Relations. Some of the theories include Liberalism, realism and constructivism. The theories try to explain the effects whether casual or constitutive in international politics.
- Realism
Realism theory has been the core theory of international relations and it claims to depend on early traditions. When World War II broke, realists saw that it was led by lacking of idealist thinking.
Realism theory assumes that intergovernmental organizations and corporations are the common actors in international affairs. The main tenets of the theory include:
- Statism
- Survival
- Self help
- Liberalism
Liberalism theory holds the basic determinant of the behavior of the state, that is the state capabilities and state preferences. This theory it also holds interaction between countries and it is not limited to any level of politics.
Neoliberalism it is an advanced level of permissive thinking and it argues with the fact that institutions internationally can grant states in cooperating in the system.
Post-liberalism argues with the fact that within the globalized and modern times in the world, states are driven to cooperate to ensure sovereign and security interest.
- Constructivism
It is described as a challenge so that it may dominate the neo-liberalism and neo-realism theories. Constructivism theory came up when there were debates concerning the methods used to solve the international relation theories and their role in the international power production.
This theory criticizes the traditional assumptions made about the international relations theories. Additionally, it emphasizes on how the international relations is a social construction.
- Marxism
This theory argues the historical materialism position and give an assumption about economic concerns and allows elevation of social class as a study focus.
- Functionalism
The theory came up from the experience of the European integration. As the state limited their technical issues, the integration developed its dynamic.
Functionalism argues with the fact of explaining phenomena as functions.
- Post-structuralism
It is a unique approach since it does not treat itself as a theory or a paradigm. It states that to understand international politics, it has to depend on abstraction, representation and interpretation.
- Post-modernism
Its approaches have an impact of claiming truth and impartiality.
- Post colonialism
It focuses on how persistent the colonial forms of power are and the ongoing racism in politics world.
Conclusion
Rationalist international program has brought about major impacts in the rationalism, constructivism among other theories. However, it sets a platform where different ideas can be discussed without any of them being bias and be realistic.
Additionally, the theories have tried explaining the effects of whether casual or constitutive in international politics. The first conference of the Rationalist International aided in arguing with the fact of logical approach to human problem and it aimed at establishing a system of philosophy and principles that can be verified by experience