PERPETUAL PEACE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION: A Theory Test
Author
Pedersen, Allan Norré
Term
4. term
Education
Publication year
2010
Submitted on
2010-06-30
Pages
74
Abstract
Dette speciale undersøger, om Michael W. Doyles teori om liberal fred, der bygger på Immanuel Kants idé om evig fred, kan verificeres i lyset af Den Europæiske Unions fortsatte udvidelser og demokratiseringsindsats. Udgangspunktet er påstanden om, at liberale demokratier ikke går i krig med hinanden, og at en udbredelse af liberalt demokrati derfor kan fremme varig fred. Specialet fokuserer på EU’s rolle som international aktør, herunder østudvidelsen, demokratiseringskravene i Københavnskriterierne og tilpasningen til acquis, samt EU’s støtte til demokrati uden for medlemskredsen. Metodisk kombineres en forklarende gennemgang af EU’s udvikling og traktater (med særligt blik for demokrati- og retsstatsprincipper) med en teoretisk ramme, der kontrasterer liberalisme og realisme, og en analytisk del, der tester liberal fred-hypotesen og diskuterer liberal internationalisme i lyset af Kants definitive artikler om fred. Kildematerialet omfatter både officielle EU-dokumenter og uafhængig forskning for at afveje potentielle skævheder. Formålet er at vurdere, i hvilket omfang EU’s udvidelser og eksterne politikker bidrager til betingelserne for fred mellem liberale demokratier; de endelige konklusioner fremgår ikke af de uddragne sider.
This thesis examines whether Michael W. Doyle’s liberal peace theory, rooted in Immanuel Kant’s idea of perpetual peace, can be verified in the context of the European Union’s ongoing enlargements and democracy promotion. It starts from the claim that liberal democracies do not fight one another, implying that the spread of liberal democracy can advance lasting peace. The study focuses on the EU as an international actor, including the Eastern enlargement, the Copenhagen Criteria’s democracy and rule-of-law requirements, alignment with the acquis, and the Union’s support for democracy beyond its membership. Methodologically, it combines an explanatory account of EU development and treaties (with attention to democratic and legal principles) with a theoretical framework that contrasts liberalism and realism, and an analytical section that tests the liberal peace hypothesis and considers liberal internationalism in light of Kant’s definitive articles for peace. Sources include official EU documents and independent scholarship to balance potential bias. The aim is to assess the extent to which EU enlargement and external policies contribute to conditions of peace among liberal democracies; final findings are not presented in the provided pages.
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