Liberalism and RealismHow do liberals view conflict?To define any perspective in international relations, it is necessary to understand its origin and primary authors, including the context in which they were writing. Liberalism is one of the most loosely defined perspectives as it has had numerous authors throughout history. Primarily, liberalism is based on the positive aspects of human nature. One of the most important liberal authors was Kant, who often wrote about the anarchic nature of international relations, referring to it as “the lawless savage state.” He also wrote about three main ways to achieve peace within this system, namely treating all aspects of human life with humanity, allowing a federation of states, and, above all, republican constitutionalism. According to Kant, following these tenants internationally would enable peaceful coexistence and, in fact, prevent conflict. Because liberals focus primarily on the inevitable progress of the human race, they tend to discourage conflict based on the premise that the good nature of human beings allows for peaceful, diplomatic solutions. Violence is justified only when it is a means of self-defense from existing threats. Imperialism is also a major cause of conflict for a liberal. This is the result of countries in the position of the United States extending their hegemonic status to justify the unnecessary use of their military forces. This extension of power and influence leads to a breakdown in the balance of power, what a liberal believes is the ultimate cause of war. A liberal sees the balance of power as fragile and risky, making the world susceptible to international conflict at the slightest imbalance. Furthermore, a liberal interpretation...... UCT Press, Cape Town, 1999Political and Security Trends in Africa, http://csis.org/program/east-africa-forumRichard K. "Political Realism and the Human Interests, " International Studies Quarterly Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1981) Smith, T. General Liberalism and Social Change in a Post-WWII America, http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00287217#close, 30 November 1999Tripp, E. Realism: The Dominance of Security Studies, http: //www.e-ir.info/2013/06/14/realism-the-domination-of-security-studies/ , 2013Waltz, K. Realism after the Cold War , http://www.columbia.edu/itc /sipa/U6800/readings-sm/Waltz_Structural%20Realism.pdfWheeler, N. Politics of Intervention, http://cadair.aber.ac.uk/dspace/bitstream/handle /2160/1925/Wheele?sequence=1World War II : A Summary of Events, http://world-war-2.info/summary/, 2000