Hendrik Spruyt and ChaparlesTilly Present Different Arguments
The rise of the modern system of states is a contentious topic among International Relations scholars. Schools of thought differ in both their explanation of when the new system had its origins and why it prospered over other systems of international organization. In this essay I shall examine two of such arguments, Hendrik Spruyt's Economic Rational argument as presented in his article 'Institutional Selection in International Relations: State Anarchy as Order', and Charles Tilly's realist portrayal of 'War Making and State Making as Organised Crime'. Spruyt's article concentrates on the question of why the sovereign state triumphed over the other forms of organization. In doing so it outlines a series of internal and external elements that make the sovereign territorially defined state a superior alternative to city-states or city-leagues. Tilly focuses more on explaining the system of states, using a helpful analogy depicting the system as an organised crime racket. He focuses on the question of what makes states, concluding, with his realist argument that war is the determining factor. Both articles provide plausible arguments in particular instances but neither argument can sustain a convincing case in other instances
"In effect, what this question asks is why, at various times and in differing contexts, individuals and groups believe one political form rather than another is best suited to advance their interests." These and other flaws make neither argument particularly compelling even though both effectively describe various events and times in the process of state formation. Possibly a combination of the arguments with a better adaptability to change would better satisfy the changing environment of world politics. Hendrick Spruyt recognises the existence of city-leagues, city-states and territorially defined sovereign states and through Gilpin's epigraph he expresses his reasoning for the selection of the territorially defined sovereign state as the most appropriate organization to suit the peoples interests. All three forms of organization attempted to tap in to the new sources of economic wealth made possible by the rising merchant class. Instead of examining the history of the three forms he analyses the selective process, which saw the territorially defined state prevail. The process takes on the identity of a Darwinian natural selection and Spruyt examines the roles of the internal and external institutions and structures, which aided the proliferation of the sovereign state. In this way he supported the natural selection process by arguing that the state had a far better organisational structure and for this reason was best suited to advance the peoples interests. In opposition to Spruyt's institutional argument Tilly focuses on only one institution of the state. War making. Tilly
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Approximate Word count = 1081
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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