FACULTY OF POLITICAL SCIENCE

TOPIC: Issue of autonomy of international politics as an academic

discipline

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY :

Dr. VED PRAKASH TARUN CHHAPOLA
ROLL NO. 1020171846
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude towards those people given there
contribution in completion of this assignment.

I would express my gratitude towards H.P. National Law University for giving me this
opportunity and providing resources required to complete the task. I would like to acknowledge
with much appreciation guidance of our Registrar Prof. Dr. S.S. Jaiswal, who has vast
experience in the field of legal education. He has provided his strong support and guidance
with his words of wisdom.

I am highly indebted to Dr. Ved Prakash, Faculty of Political Science at Himachal Pradesh
National Law University, for his guidance and providing necessary information regarding the
assignment & also their support in completion of the assignment.

I would like to thank my family for kindness and constant motivation they have provided. I
would like to thank my friends and classmates for providing their aid whenever I needed it.

Lastly, I eternally grateful to almighty God for blessing me with good health and making
everything possible.
Issue of autonomy of international politics as an academic discipline

Introduction:

The study of international politics continues to be an important academic exercise. The big
increase in the number of sovereign states with their ever-growing interdependence and the
active presence of a large number of active non-states actors and global actors have together
made the study of relations and interactions among nations a vast highly interesting necessary
and useful field of study. The future of humankind has become largely dependent upon the
nature of relations among nations. The linkage between domestic politics and international
relations has increased manifold. Globalistation has been developing in a comprehensive way.
Possibility of a third world war still constitutes a danger to humankind and hence there is every
need to eliminate its chances. The presence of the menace of international terrisom ethnic
violence and wars and need for protection of environment and human rights have together made
it essential for every person to study interational relations and participate in the process of
finding solution to our problems and needs. Study of international relations which can help us
to understand and handle better the course of relations among nations has become an imperative
necessity of our age.

Status of International Politics as a Discipline: The Difference of Opinion:

However, there continues to be a sharp difference of opinion among social scientists over the
issue of the status of International Politics as an academic subject. Two extreme opinions, one
advocating its complete autonomy and the other rejecting the thesis for autonomy, continue to
be the objects of discussion. A third view, a midway, however, takes up the position that
International Politics is on the way to become an autonomous discipline. A discussion of these
three views alone can help us to sort out and settle the issue.

A) International Politics is an Autonomous Discipline:

Several scholars advocate strongly the case for the autonomy of International Politics as a
subject of study. They argue strongly that International Politics must be accepted as an
autonomous subject. In fact, it has already attained recognition as an autonomous subject by a
number of universities located all over the globe.
The chief supporters of this view have been C.A. W. Manning, Quincy Wright, Karlin M.
Copper Hoffson, Morgenthau, A.L. Burns and many others. They argue that International
Politics is an autonomous subject of study with its particular field of enquiry and set methods
of study. It cannot be treated as a part of Political Science or History or any other social
discipline.

It is different from Political science in so far as it studies struggle for power among nations
which is neither at work under an established sovereign state nor to one which leads to any
authoritative allocation of values for the nations. Its subject-matter differnet perspective and
approach is capable of allowing objective analysis.

In a report prepared by C.A. W. Manning and published by UNESCO, it was advocated that
“International Relations is a synthetic discipline and is a part of a larger body of knowledge
called social cosmology whose subject-matter is the structure of international study.” Manning
advocated three main arguments in support of the autonomous status of international relations.

First, within the social universe there is a complete web of international relations—”The
international relational complex” which requires an autonomous study.

Secondly, such a study demands a ‘Universal Angle’. This approach cannot be possible unless
the discipline can be accepted as an independent discipline.

Thirdly, such a study can be useful only if it can make us understand the true nature of
international relations and events and help us to identify and settle international issues,
problems and main directions.

Quincy Wright identifies eight subjects which together form the subject matter of International
Politics and this list justifies its acceptance as an autonomous discipline. Hoffson advocates the
acceptance of this view on the ground that for a rational and objective understanding of the
domestic issues and problems that confront every nation, it is essential to study the external
relations and actions of other nations. This need can be met only by accepting International
Politics as an independent discipline.

Similar views have been expressed by Capper Johnson, Burton and Morgenthau. Capper
Johnson advocates that we cannot accept International Politics as a part of History or Political
Science because its scope is very vast, its subject-matter is distinct and its methodology is
peculiar. It must be accepted as an independent subject within the social sciences. It is indeed
a self-contained discipline.
(B) International Politics is not an Autonomous Discipline:

The thesis for the autonomy of International Politics is strongly criticized and rejected by P.D.
Merchant, Robert Loring, Kaplan, Kennan, Martin Wright and several others. Arguments in
support of the view that International Politics cannot be accepted as an autonomous discipline.

(a) The first argument is that in order to be accepted as an independent discipline, a subject
must satisfy three conditions:

(i) Definite subject-matter,

(ii) An accepted theory, and

(iii) A definite methodology. International politics fails to satisfy these conditions and hence it
cannot be accepted as an autonomous discipline.

(b) The second argument is that International Politics is mainly concerned with relations and
interactions among nations and its determining factors and forces. For this, it has to study the
whole of policy-determining process of all the states. Such a study cannot be conducted by
International Politics alone. For this it has to remain dependent upon Political Science, History,
Economics, Sociology, Geography and other social disciplines. As such, it cannot be regarded
as an autonomous or independent discipline. It is, in fact, a sub-discipline of Political Science.

Mortali A. Kaplan has remarked that International Politics cannot be accepted as an

independent discipline because “there is no common disciplinary core to be enriched as there
has been in the companion subject-matter of Political Science.”

What one studies as the subject-matter of International Politics is in reality certain parts of other
disciplines—mainly of Political Science. Kennan agrees with Kaplan in this respect. Since it is
mainly concerned with the state system, political relations, struggle for power and diplomatic
relations among nations, it is bound to be a part of the science of State i.e. Political Science,
and not a discipline in itself.

(C) International Politics has been fast developing to be an Autonomous

Discipline:
The third view constitutes a midway between the above two views. It holds that since the study
of International Politics is still at a developing stage and that it has yet to acquire a definite
subject-matter and methodology, it cannot be accepted as an autonomous discipline.
Nevertheless, the rapid advances in the study of international relations in the post-war period
and the consequent emergence of a fairly large number of well recognized and popular
concepts, approaches and theories, make it essential for us to recognize that International
Politics is heading fast towards the attainment of a universal recognition as an autonomous
discipline.

The search for a better developed and uniform face, concepts and methods in International
Politics has been quite rewarding. The task of theory-building through systematic research has
been satisfactorily going on for more than nine decades. This makes us confident to predict that
in the near future International Politics is bound to be accepted as an autonomous discipline.
The study material in International Politics has been becoming more and more vast, and
comprehensive and today it cannot be confined within the limits of any single social discipline.
It has been this development that has compelled many universities to treat International Politics
as an autonomous discipline.

Efforts are on to get it recognized as an such by almost all the universities. Indian School of
International Studies has undertaken appreciable efforts for this purpose and we can hope that
it is most likely to be accepted as an autonomous discipline by all the Indian Universities.

Autonomy of international politics

 International politics is fast becoming an autonomous discipline – the correct view- a

very large number of universities now accept it as an autonomous discipline a large
number of universities have separate departments of international politics.
 International politics is an automous discipline with a distinctive scope and
methodology – not a fully valid view.
 International politics is not an automous discipline it is a part of political science.

The third view appears to be a correct view, and it is bound to be very beneficial for the
development of the discipline. It will encourage the students to undertake more extensive and
intensive research in International Politics. This can lead their discipline to get more developed
and earn recognition as an autonomous discipline.

The progress towards the development of new approaches, concepts, propositions and theories,
and the increasing clarity and agreement regarding its subject-matter justifies the hope that the
discipline is well on the way to attain the status of an autonomous discipline in all the
universities located in all parts of the globe. We can conclude that International Politics is still
endeavouring to be an autonomous discipline. It is not fully developed autonomous discipline
at present but it has the quality and potential to become an autonomous discipline in the near
future.

Writing in mid 20th century S.L. Wasby wrote: “The study of international relations has become
an important academic concern in the 20th century for fairly obvious reasons. The two world
wars of unprecedented catastrophic magnitude a considerably larger number of more limited
conflicts. And the continuing threat of a final and ultimate holocaust have been the dominant
political events of the period. These have sufficed to create an awareness that only through a
sustained and serious efforts to comprehend the forces at work within the international politics
system is more likely to create some possibility of continuity for the civilization he has thus far
produced.” Autonomy of international politics stands recognised by all the universities of
developed countries and it is being increasingly recognised as an autonoums discipline by a
very large number of universities of the developing countries. The 21st century has dawned as
the age of globalisation. Human rights of all the people of the world greater and greater
cooperation and coordination among nations. And sustainable development. This is bound to
make international politics a more popular autonoums discipline.