NTRODUCTION
As the world of international law has developed over the past few decades, various legal theories have emerged in analyzing how the growing globalized society operates. The two major theoretical categories have been the interest-based theories of state behavior, and the norm-based theories. Interest-based theories have a shared belief that states and individuals that guide them are self-interested actors that look at alternative courses of international action and act accordingly. The three interest-based theories to be discussed will be realism, institutionalism, and liberal theory. Norm-based theories agree that norms and ideas are critically important in conducting international law and politics. The three norm-based theories to be discussed will be constructivism, fairness/ legitimacy theory, and legal process theory.
PART I
The liberal theory of international law is the finest illustration of international law. The theory argues that states pursue their own self-interest by looking within the states to find domestic sources of self-interest. It encompasses the belief that societal ideas, interests, and institutions shape preferences and influence behavior.
Liberalist theory takes into account many factors such as culture, economic system, or government type, which are vital to state behavior. In the modern dynamic, where cultural influences are widespread, it is necessary to take into account its impact on the behavior of states. Liberalist also hold that interaction between states is not limited to political, but also economics, whether through firms, organizations, and individuals. It is interplay between ...