Date
12-2016
Department
Helms School of Government
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
Chair
Stephen M Parke
Keywords
Constructivism, Geopolitics, International Relations, Liberalism, Middle East, Realism
Disciplines
European History | History | International Relations | Military History | Other History | Political History | Political Theory
Recommended Citation
Warren, Jayson, "The Failure of Westphalia: A Constructivist Examination of Western and Middle Eastern Relations" (2016). Masters Theses. 431.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/431
Abstract
This thesis is not intended to be a dogmatic or pedantic endorsement of any one religion, ethic, or culture. To the contrary, it is the intent of the author to examine a number of competing ideas, philosophies, and belief systems in order to extrapolate their geopolitical implications and to pursue them to their logical (albeit sometimes inevitable) conclusions. Too often, any number of presuppositions at work within a given situation go overlooked and subsequently skew geopolitical analysis and resulting policy decisions. This thesis seeks to transcend mere opinion or speculation and achieve instead a framework of Constructivism for pragmatic comprehension and understanding. In short, this thesis seeks to defend the notion that ideas matter in geopolitics and that sound analysis must account for the ideas esteemed by both the entities being observed (e.g. states, peoples, etc.) and the analyst(s) themselves.
Included in
European History Commons, International Relations Commons, Military History Commons, Other History Commons, Political History Commons, Political Theory Commons
