Concepts learned in International Relations Essay

Concepts learned in International Relations - Essay Example the ‘national interest’ is captured in the image of a social evolutionary process that predetermines a series of associated connotations and denotations of an otherwise natural phenomenon (Trubovitz, 1998, p.3). The individualistic view of ‘what’s good’ is truly based on the concept of private benefit while social good or benefit is located in a larger context that even encompasses international interests. It’s against this backdrop that American national interest as against international collective benefit ought to be examined. Concepts such as ‘absolute good’ and ‘relative good’ in a politically charged environment of conflict between ideologies are more relevant and highly feasible though definitions of them might vary according to biases and prejudices of individuals who seek to interpret them. Social issues of conflict and ideological differences deserve more attention in a study of international relations than a superficial analysis of consequences thereof. Theoretical underpinnings of social transformation in an international relations context focus attention on the inevitable concept of conflict between private interests and public interests. By extension it’s the same conflict between national interests of the individual nation state and the collective interests of the international community at large. The subsequent developments that unfold as the conflict evolves into a multifaceted phenomenon bear a closer semblance to those social issues such as ideological differences, social biases and prejudices, ethnic and religious interests and societal mores or value systems. At an international level the macrocosmic phenomenon though might assume a diversity and a complexity that has little parallel in conflicts within the boundaries of a nation state. The theoretical rigor with which the polemical issues in interstate relations are treated generates a greater degree of enthusiasm in the conflict and its impact on such relations. While