Liberalism: a Review of the Literature

Abstract

This article reviews liberalism as one of the theories of International Relations. This review-will be presented in three sections. In the first section the article will review the historical and philosophical origins of the liberal thought. This will be followed by the introduction of important works in a historical order that helped liberal theory to distinguish itself conceptually theoretically and methodologically from the rest of the field. In the final section in lieu of a conclusion the current state of affairs in liberal theory from theoretical and practical perspectives will be presented. This review underscores the fact that liberalism as a political theory has contributed to the development of liberalism as an International Relations theory yet over the years liberalism has managed to create its own place by developing methodologically and conceptually.