Polyarchy and Geopolitics in International Security Studies

Abstract

Goal – The aim of the analysis is to answer the question of how to study international relations in the area of security: by highlighting phenomena from the area of geopolitics or through the prism of the polycentric and polyarchic system of international anarchy. Research methodology – The analysis is conducted with a systemic method, understood as an interconnected set of elements, i.e. an international system, by examining the relationships of these elements and their influence on each other and the environment. Score/results – The theory of polyarchy shows the specificity of rivalry between states – the key role of resources (and their accumulation) in rivalry and the process of converting resources into energy used within the group of people to survive and outside to compete with other groupings. Originality/value – The theory of polyarchy examines the historical development of international relations by illustrating the processes of grouping the human species into rival alliances and the emergence of the structure of states. It also explains the mechanisms of their evolution and the evolution of relations between them. Further on, it demonstrates how regional systems were formed and how they disintegrated and evolved, eventually transforming into the global system.