Classical realism: the "ASEAN Way" to relevance

• Main Author: Oui, Shawn De Peng
• Other Authors: Dylan Loh Ming Hui
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Arts and Humanities; ASEAN; Classical realism; Relevance; The "ASEAN Way"
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/175903
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

In the intersection between the Indian and Pacific Ocean, fractures are emerging as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) faces up to domestic and international politics. The perennial criticism that confronts ASEAN is the question of its relevance. Drawing on the international theory of classical realism, this paper seeks to argue that the “ASEAN Way” mode of diplomacy is still relevant in managing intra-regional tensions and fostering peace, while also navigating external relationships with major powers in the twenty-first century. I posit that the “ASEAN Way” are not arbitrary norms, newly formed to introduce a novel system of interaction. Instead, the “ASEAN Way” is fundamentally a code of conduct derived from the realist playbook—rooted in power, focused on sovereignty, and self-interest.