War and Security

Role of Theoretical Framework in Explaining War and Security Author’s Name The Institutional Affiliation Course Number and Name Instructor Name Assignment Due Date Introduction Various features of a war make it unique and even different from other forms of armed disputes such as riots; for instance, war is always an organized and deliberate violence. Moreover, wars are more lethal than other forms of violence, and to term an act of deliberate violence a war, the two belligerent parties must have the capacity to inflict damage on each other (Anonymous, n.d.). Unlike the definition of war, scholars are generally divided as to the potential causes of war; even though critics have proposed various theories to explain the real cause of war, a consensus is yet to be obtained. Generally, these theories focus on inter-state wars because states are recognizable entities with organized armies and war machinery (Levy, 2011). Hence, it is pertinent to understand various theoretical perspectives on the cause of war. Based on the realist theoretical framework, the innate anarchical nature of the international system inevitably causes war as state policies aim to compete and excel over other states. According to liberalist theory, the authoritative characteristic of a government inclines it to engage in war with other states, as democratic states rarely choose war as an option to resolve their disputes (Anonymous, n.d.). Nevertheless, it is crucial to understand the role of a theory in evaluating the causes of war to identify the most viable theoretical framework explaining its causes and the following paragraphs mainly focus on this discussion. Importance of Theory in Evaluating Causes of War Several aspects of war, especially interstate war, make it imperative to understand the role of a comprehensive theory of international relations to explain its motive and causative factors. To illustrate, one may refer to the inherent human nature to strive and compete for material and other gains and their tendency to surpass all moral and ethical obligations for this purpose (Waltz, 2018). Therefore, based on a scholar’s view, countries are always in a state of war in terms of their involvement in relentless security competition; moreover, human nature puts humans in a state of perpetual sense of safety, which compels them to protect their safety at all costs (Waltz, 2018). Therefore, a realistic explanation of this perpetual feature of human life through a rational theoretical framework is necessary to avoid the harm associated with this conflict. The nature of war and conflict is better understood by dividing the scenario and conditions of war at different levels. Accordingly, theoretical propositions explaining the nature and causes of war at an individual level are imperative to understanding how an individual’s political affiliation, belief system, and personal factors contribute to supporting violence and war (Levy, 2011). In the same way, at the national level, proper comprehension of state policies, the political and economic system, the nature of the policymaking process, and the role of public opinion through a valid theoretical framework impart crucial input about the potential causes of war (Levy, 2011). This aspect of human society elaborates on the necessity of understanding the causes of war through a theoretical framework. In the same way, based on the precepts of the realist theory of war, the innate anarchic nature of the international political system and the associated unfair distribution of economic and military resources further compels a person to use an appropriate framework to understand the nature and causes of wars (Levy, 2011). A crucial aspect of the global and regional political, economic, and social systems is that they run in different dimensions. To illustrate, at the global level, all states have to deal with the same systems; however, at the regional level, all states have different political, social, economic, and military interests and preferences, which may trigger wars and conflicts (Levy, 2011). Hence, understanding the role of regional and global systems in wars requires different theoretical propositions. Using various theories to explain the causes and nature of war is the only option available, as these theories also provide a rationale for developing security management programs to minimize wars. For instance, the balance of power theory is a framework that considers imbalance in power at international and regional levels as the ultimate cause of war and conflicts (Nexon, 2009). Accordingly, the same theoretical framework suggests that developing a counterbalance to the global hegemony of power through the concentration of powers in the international system provides a way to promote peace (Levy, 2011; Wu, 2018). This theory, therefore, highlights the crucial role of war theories in addressing the issue of war. Different war theories project solutions to increase peace management and decrease the possibility of war. Another war theory that provides a solution to war is the transition theory, which advocates the establishment of global hegemony as the sole factor responsible for promoting global peace (Levy, 2011). Therefore, this aspect further reinforces the importance of war theories. Similarly, liberal theorists suggest that...