Classical Realism Flashcards
What are Morgenthau’s key principles
- Politics is governed by objective laws that have their roots in human nature. It is a theory based on facts and reason.
- The main signpost is interest defined as power. Realists won’t analyse action based on ideology or personal views of statesmen.
- Balance of power is a perennial element of all pluralist societies
- Universal moral principles cannot be applied to the actions of states….but filtered through circumstances of time and space. One can only judge the morals of states by the moral principle of survival
- Refuse to identify the moral aspirations of a nation with the moral laws that govern the universe
What is the balance of power?
Dominant idea within realist and English school. Classical realists balance of power was something contrived (actors had to co-operate to maintain the balance), for neorealists balance of power is akin to a natural equilibrium. For English school balance of power is an “institution” requiring cooperation and a shared belief that a balance of power is crucial for international order.
What is the realist view of moral action?
Universal moral principles cannot be applied to the actions of states. Morgenthau: The realization of the lesser evil rather than the greater good. Realism considers rational foreign policy to be good foreign policy because it minimizes risk.
What does EH Carr see as the difference between the realist and the utopian
- Utopian looks to the future in spirit of creative spontaneity; the realist looks to the past for causality.
- Utopian says political theory is a norm that should be used to create political practice. Realist says theory is a codification of political practice.
- Intellectual seeks to make practice confirm to theory for example Woodrow Wilson. Bureaucrat is fundamentally empirical = man of action
- Utopian and realist is equal to left and right or radical and fundamentalist. The right is weak in theory, but the left is inadequate in translating into practice.
- The world of value and the world of nature: utopian sets standards and seeks world to confirm, the realist there is no good other than the understanding of reality
What is EH Carr’s relative theory of thought
Theories of international morality are generally speaking the theories of the dominant group
What are the core elements of liberalism?
- Faith in abilty of international organisations and justice to prevent war
- Emphasize reason in human affairs - the collective good is good for individuals
Liberals and the Harmony of interest
The ‘harmony of interest’ => pacifism linked to
interdependence (economic and political)
– Structured by international law (IL)
– Belief in transparency and progress => efficacy of
the “world court of public opinion”
Liberal prescriptions for statecraft
– Distrust of traditional means (secret diplomacy and
balance of power)
– Global Governance/ a world government; the
importance of collective security (à peace-keeping
force) and disarmament
– Strengthening IL
What are the core elements of Classical Realism
- A pessimistic view of human nature
- Int’l politics = a struggle for power - int’l org cannot contain states
- The only response: creation of countervailing powers (balancing) and appropriate use of that power
- A tragic or cyclical view of history - no faith in progress - stress repetition and continuity instead of linearity
- Little faith in democracy
Similarities and differences between realists and liberalism
• The importance of history to the evolution of
IR theories
• human nature and the possibility of progress
• No sharp inside/outside divide: international
politics is largely a continuation of national
politics:
– ‘first’ and ‘second image’ explanations (Waltz
1959, Man, the State and War)
• a very different sense of the role of morality
(the normative)
