5th INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON KHAZAR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
PLACE AND APPLICABILITY OF DEMOCRATIC PEACE THEORY IN MODERN GEOPOLITICS
The Democratic Peace Theory (DPT), which argues that democracies are less likely to go to war with each other, has emerged as an influential concept in shaping international relations. This theory is often linked to liberalism and the idea that democratic states share standard norms and structures that support peaceful conflict resolution. It has also been criticized for its potentially orientalist foundations, where Western democratic ideals are seen as superior and used to justify interventions in undemocratic states. This dual perspective raises questions about the universality and application of the democratic peace theory. The effectiveness of the DPT in achieving peace has been questioned, especially in contemporary conflict zones after 9/11, where efforts to spread democracy through military interventions have often resulted in instability and amid increasing populism and biopolitical concerns. While the DPT argues that democracies are inherently peaceful towards each other, empirical evidence suggests that democracies are not generally less prone to war. The theory’s focus on peaceful relations between democracies does not consider their involvement in conflicts with non-democratic states. In this sense, the theory’s assumptions are challenged by the complexities of international relations and the realities of democratic transitions, suggesting the need for more nuanced approaches to peace and conflict studies. Our study discusses whether the DPT has become a form of biopolitics, and if so, what its consequences are and what this means for the West, democracies, terrorism, and societies. By considering various case studies and perspectives, especially the Russia-Ukraine war, the relevance and challenges of the DPT in contemporary conflict zones are explored, and the limitations of the theory are discussed.
