THE EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPT OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS THEORY

Abstract

This thesis analyzes the formation, content, and theoretical interpretations of the concept of national interest within international relations theory. The study employs a comparative analytical approach to examine the role of national interest across realism, liberalism, neoliberal institutionalism, as well as critical and feminist perspectives. In particular, it explores Hans J. Morgenthau’s power- and security-centered understanding of national interest; the institution- and domestic-preference–based approaches articulated in the works of Robert O. Keohane and Andrew Moravcsik; and the critical positions advanced by Robert W. Cox and Cynthia Enloe.

The thesis also considers the practical significance of the concept of national interest in the contemporary international system, its role in states’ foreign policy decision-making, and the mechanisms for coordinating interests within regional and international organizations. Using Uzbekistan’s foreign policy as an illustrative case, the study highlights the conceptual foundations of an open and constructive approach grounded in national interests. The findings demonstrate that the concept of national interest is not a singular or immutable category, but rather a dynamic notion shaped by historical, institutional, and social factors.

Mazkur tezisda xalqaro munosabatlar nazariyasida milliy manfaatlar konsepsiyasining shakllanishi, mazmuni va nazariy talqinlari tahlil qilinadi. Tadqiqot doirasida milliy manfaat tushunchasining realizm, liberalizm, neo-liberal institutsionalizm hamda tanqidiy va feministik yondashuvlardagi o‘rni solishtirma tahlil asosida yoritiladi. Xususan, H. Morgenthau tomonidan ilgari surilgan kuch va xavfsizlikka asoslangan milliy manfaat talqini, R. Keohane va A. Moravcsik ishlarida ifodalangan institutlar va davlat ichki preferensiyalariga tayangan yondashuvlar, shuningdek, R. Cox va C. Enloe tomonidan taklif etilgan tanqidiy pozitsiyalar tahlil qilinadi.

Shuningdek, tezis milliy manfaatlar tushunchasining zamonaviy xalqaro munosabatlar tizimidagi amaliy ahamiyati, davlatlarning tashqi siyosiy qarorlarida uning roli hamda mintaqaviy va xalqaro tashkilotlar doirasida manfaatlarni muvofiqlashtirish mexanizmlari ko‘rib chiqiladi. O‘zbekiston tashqi siyosati misolida milliy manfaatlarga asoslangan ochiq va konstruktiv yondashuvning konseptual jihatlari ham yoritiladi. Tadqiqot natijalari shuni ko‘rsatadiki, milliy manfaatlar konsepsiyasi yagona va o‘zgarmas kategoriya emas, balki tarixiy, institutsional va ijtimoiy omillar ta’sirida shakllanuvchi dinamik tushuncha hisoblanadi.