What are the 4 great debates?
These disputes throughout IR’s short history have come to be known as ‘The Great Debates’, and though disputed it is generally felt there have been four, namely ‘Realism/Liberalism’, ‘Traditionalism/Behaviouralism’, ‘Neorealism/Neoliberalism’ and the most recent ‘Rationalism/Reflectivism’. The Great Debates define IR’s evolution and its foundational theoretical conflicts. Four primary debates exist: Realism/Liberalism, Traditionalism/Behaviouralism, Neo-realism/Neo-liberalism, Rationalism/Reflectivism. Realism emerged as a pragmatic counter to idealism after the failures of the League of Nations.