Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa (Volume 12, No.8,.pdfVIP

Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa (Volume 12, No.8, 2010) ISSN: 1520-5509 Clarion University of Pennsylvania, Clarion, Pennsylvania   MARXIST-LENINIST THEORY OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: EMERGING THINKING IN THE 21ST CENTURY Percyslage Chigora Department of History and Development Studies, Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe Edson Ziso Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany ABSTRACT The relevance of Marxism, as a theory shaping development, has been questioned, especially with the end of the Cold War. But with the emergence of global problems, particularly those related to the vagaries of capitalism and neo-liberalism, there has been renewed interest in the application of the theory in international relations discourse. There appears to be highlights of the increased class struggle in the form of the “new world’ and the “old world”, or, in simple terms, the developed and the developing societies. In an attempt to illuminate on these class struggles at the international level and explaining why events happen the way they do, insights have emerged from contributions by Marx, Lenin, and Neo-Marxists. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the relevance of Marxism in the study of International relations in the contemporary world. This is done in two ways, that is, the review of political-philosophical doctrine of liberation and the examination of the socio-economic components of the international political economy. Keywords: Marxism; Leninism; International Relations Theory; Sustainable Development; International Political Economy INTRODUCTION Like any other theory of renewed interest in international relations, the