Abstract
International Politics is based upon two main theories, Realism and Liberalism. These theories are conventionally opposed, and therefore give two different interpretations of world politics. This essay will focus on the stances of these theories upon the role of the state. However, before assessing their viewpoints, it is crucial to understand what the state represents. In 1648, the Treaties of Westphalia which ended the Thirty Years War also set up an international society in which sovereign states possess the monopoly of force within their defined territories and interact through the mediums of diplomacy and international law, implying a separation between the domestic and international spheres. The state is thus seen as a "distinct set of political institutions whose specific concern is with the organization of domination in the name of the common interest, within a delimited territory." Max Weber gives the most relevant definition of the modern state. According to him, "the state is a human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of force within a given territory."
