The Liberalist Tightrope : Balancing Pluralism and Meaningful Action in International Relations, a study on Judith Shklar’s Liberalism of Fear

Sammanfattning: Judith Shklar’s liberalism of fear, while characterized by deep skepticism and dissatisfaction with utilitarian theories on liberalism, is also filled with hope and a tireless dedication to the victims of our political worlds. This thesis in international political theory explores Judith Shklar’s underappreciated international political thought. The thesis argues that while her liberalism of fear can be considered a coherent alternative to rivaling theories in international political theory, as it explores questions on ethics beyond the horizons of single political communities, it also presupposes strict limitations regarding the purpose of international political theory. Consequently, the liberalism of fear can be thought of as an international political theory that functions as a sense-making tool rather than being action-guiding. Hence, the aim of this thesis is twofold: It aims to contribute to the secondary literature on Shklar’s political thought in the context of international relations, but it also aims to contribute to the broader discussion on the study of ethics in international relations, especially concerning realist political theory, and in such ways, it illuminates some fundamental complexities in real-world politics.