Liberalism has contributed to the understanding of international relations as an academic discipline and through organizations such as the United Nations, the European Union, the League of Arab States and others in what many consider To begin with, liberalism has its roots in the Enlightenment period (Mingst, 2008), where many philosophers and thinkers of the time began to question the established status quo. Such as the prevailing belief in religious superstition and began to replace it with a more rational way of thinking and a belief in the intrinsic goodness of humanity. The Enlightenment period influenced liberalism's belief that human beings are thinkers capable of naturally understanding the laws governing human social conduct and that by understanding these laws, humans can improve their condition and live in harmony with others (Mingst, 2008). Two of the most prominent liberal internationalists of the Enlightenment period were Immanuel Kant and Jeremy Bentham, both of whom believed that international relations were conducted in a brutal manner. It was Kant who compared international relations to “a state of anarchic savagery” (Baylis and Smith, 2001, p. 165). It was also Kant who believed that nations could form a kind of United States and thus overcome international anarchy (Mingst, 2008). This was probably the beginning of a coherent belief in some sort of union of sovereign states. Towards the end of the 17th century, William Penn believed that a “regime” (parliament) could be established in Europe, like the European Union today (Baylis and Smith, 2001). We can see much of this liberal thinking today in organizations such as the United Nations. Another influential work for having...... middle of paper ......g fundamental principles and beliefs. Throughout its history, the United Nations has worked and advocated for collective security measures through international diplomacy and the deployment of peacekeepers to troubled areas around the world. His collective security measures are another example of the beliefs stated by Kant (Baylis and Smith, 2001). The Mont Pélerin Society, while less influential than the United Nations, is yet another example of the type of classic liberal think tank that exists. Today. It has notable and influential members, including Nobel laureates Milton Friedman and Vernon Smith. Although it is unclear how this may have influenced state actors in the past. There are many other liberal organizations and this is just one small example of many that exist around the world and have influenced international relations..