Reality, are you there?

After having read about constructivism and critical theory it is very obvious that they are completely different than realism or liberalism. Realism and liberalism are trying to explain the world of international relations and the way that it all functions. There is an external reality that they are attempting to reveal. But on the other hand constructivism and critical theory and attempting to understand how reality was created and how it might be changed. For constructivist and critical theorists the world is at our hands and we are able to reach out at any point and attempt to change it. Thus comparing the two becomes difficult because they are doing such different things. But when looking at all four of these theories together the question of whether reality exists independent of us humans is immediately raised.
I would like to propose that reality was created by humans, obviously there was no inevitability about the current condition of the world that forced it to look like this, yet this reality is now so firmly entrenched that it become very difficult to change. The creation has taken over the creator. We can talk about norm construction or legitimacy and morals, but really all we are doing is talking. The world is still just an anarchaic place driven by self-interests, and no amount of scholarly writing is going to change that.

Matt Bank