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  • Essay / The advantages of theories in international relations

    First, theories can have flaws. Theories are plans after all; they do not constitute the finalized plan. Theories could be thought of as articles that never seem to leave the writing stage. Few things change constantly, but minor changes are made. DPT – democratic peace theory – within liberalism has inconsistencies, but overall these inconsistencies are not common. One might find many faults with owning an Android or an iPhone, but that doesn't stop people from buying and using them because their faults aren't entirely significant; These are two phones that work the way they were designed, just like the theories. Second, theories can ignore other levels of analysis. Classical realism, for example, focuses on the first level of analysis – the individual – and generally ignores the state and international level. However, attempting to cover the bases of each level of analysis is not the intent of a theory. It is meant to be specific and trying to please all levels would be almost impossible; this is why we have several theories to explain international relations. Theories are there to break down each level of analysis. Finally, theories can appear to contain unnecessary information if not analyzed carefully. Detailed information is important and can be very useful, but these details can also be unnecessary depending on the purpose of the project.