Democratic Fight Club: Justification for the Proliferation of War through Liberal Theories

The occurrence of irrational behavior by states in the international system prompts us to question the explanatory power of existing theories. Democratic Peace Theory is prominent in the field of International Relations, and suggests that liberal states do not fight each other as a result of having republican institutions, a pacific union, and a cosmopolitan attitude. This theory attempts to give insight as to how lasting peace can be achieved by nations, which is evident through theorist Michael Doyle's use of Immanuel Kant's 1795 essay "Towards Perpetual Peace" to substantiate the theory. Increasingly hostile behavior on the part of liberal states leads us to question the incongruity between the claims of a progression towards peace by Democratic Peace Theory and the ongoing hostile behaviors within the international system. This project attempts to review the shortcomings of Democratic Peace Theory and return to Immanuel Kant in order to grasp how lasting peace may actually be achieved.