Anarchy in International Relations is a concept in International Relations theory holding that the world system is leaderless: there is no universal sovereign or worldwide government. There is thus no hierarchically superior, coercive power that can resolve disputes, enforce law, or order the system like there is in domestic politics. In International Relations, anarchy is widely accepted as the starting point for International Relations theory
While some political scientists use the term "anarchy" to signify a world in chaos, in disorder, or in conflict, others view it simply as a reflection of the order of the international system: independent states with no central authority above them.[1]
As a term of art, 'anarchy' was coined by Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson, an English historian and activist for pacifism, in his 1926 work, The International Anarchy, 1904–1914.
The concept of anarchy is the foundation for realist, liberal, neorealist, and neoliberal international relations theories. Constructivist theory disputes that anarchy is a fundamental condition of the international system; Alexander Wendt, the most influential modern constructivist thinker,[2] is often quoted for writing, "Anarchy is what states make of it."[3] That is to say, anarchy is not inherent in the international system in the way in which other schools of IR theory envision it, but rather it is a construct of the states in the system.[3]
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