Idealism. Utopianism. Optimism. In the field of International Relations, these phrases are often used with ridicule, but Carr cautions against their exclusion from the discipline. Of all the readings assigned in class thus far, I have found Carr’s to be the most reasonable. This is because he avoids clinging to binaries, viewing realism and utopianism as equally necessary.  Compared to realism, idealism is fairly weak today. Optimists such as Norman Angell likely killed the utopian discourse before it could develop fully. World War I occurred in spite of Angell’s prediction that war was now unthinkable, and as a result, realists were able to too easily refute liberal ideologies because they simply appeared wrong. Despite being wrong on that count, I must agree with Carr that optimism is not useless. Utopianism fosters “aspiration” which is a foundational stage of human thought (8). But Carr does not stop there. Not only do we need optimism, we also need a stage of “hard and ruthless analysis (9).” Utopianism serves as our inspiration to improve the world, while realism enables results. Carr effectively juxtaposes the utopianism to the efforts of alchemists in changing lead to gold (6). Though this aspiration failed its goal, the synthesis of the aspiration and analysis of reality yielded new knowledge: deeper understanding of chemistry, and that such a transmutation is impossible. By synthesizing utopianism with realism, though we may not attain our aspirations, the search may yield other findings that also prove valuable.

Carr cautions against embracing one extreme without moderation, but I have a hard time believing that realists are divorced from aspirations, and that idealists ignore facts. One could argue that by painting the opposites as extremes, Carr is utilizing the same binary method of thinking that he criticizes. However, by defining the undesirable attributes of the extremes, he is not denouncing the extremes as much as he is recommending balance.

Carr’s observation that the desire to change reality does influence reality is accurate (4), and I find that a complimentary observation can be made: attempting to accurately measure the world influences it as well. Just as the utopian desire to change the world can produce change, someone grounded in an a posteriori methodology can ensure that the world doesn’t change. Theories produced under these circumstances can explain why international actors behaved as they did, with the understanding that they will continue to act this way. When these theories take hold, they enforce that behaviour as actors follow their implications. Thus, to encourage progress, utopianism is necessary, but a measure of realism is also necessary to keep theory informed and effective.

Carr, E. H. The Twenty Years Crisis. London: Macmillan, 1939.