realism Flashcards
Hobbes
Emphasized the importance of security from violence for humans. The job of government is to protect people from violence. This issue was obvious to Hobbes in the climate of the 30 years war and the English civil war. The state of nature - violence is nature. The job of government is to protect the people and ensure some peace.
International anarchy is formed by the elimination of a domestic anarchy. an international leviathan is needed.
WW1
The goal of developing international relations was to end violence among the states of Europe.
Liberal west. Smith - reason will allow us to move past this violence. Focuses more on economic wealth and trade and using international institutions to solve problems.
USSR. The problem is not trade. The problem is capitalism. Revolution is required.
Realism becomes dominant after WW2.
E.H. Carr, 20 years crisis, late 1930s
Determined to demonstrate that advice from liberal scholars, will ruin the faith of the United Kingdom.
Power vs Universalism.
The interests of powerful nations should not be confused with the goal of humanity. rationalizing own interests on the mantel of universal good. Hypocrisy.
‘defining the rules-based order’ - creates a cynicism and resentment against nations which are not punished due to power. Dangers of liberalism in a liberal world.
Refrain from spending money on military to seek trade agreements, make treaties and rely on international institutions. If all nations accept this advice, the world will become much more peaceful.
However some nations do not play by these rules. Nazi Germany. This makes the liberal system ineffective and dangerous - self-defeating.
Niebuhr, moral man vs immoral society
The liberal and the revolutionary were too naïve. As a Christian theologian, he believed in the original sin of man, and the
permanence of flaw in the human condition. He warns of the dangers of idealism.
No matter what system, humans will be cruel, selfish, and violent. This is how humans are wired.
Idealism/Altruism – Man can be moral. However, this cannot happen at the collective level. This is because politicians who get to
the top tend not to be altruistic and idealistic people. People who are in charge of nations are less likely to care about the welfare
of others than themselves.
Not only are leaders less likely to be idealistic, they also should not be. Leaders who are responsible for the welfare of citizens
can not have altruism as they have to defend and provide security for people within their nation.
Collectives operate with selfishness for the benefit of people within the nation. This is necessary as there is inevitable conflict
Morgenthau scientific man vs power politics, 1946
Jewish refugee from Germany in United States, contrasts Niebuhr’s title.
Science and Reason can’t fix all problems, believing very much in human nature positively. The United States relies on this, and
need to become more brutal and more cruel to stay on top. Animus Dominandi – Nietzsche. Desire to dominate and gain power.
Negative understanding of human nature like Hobbes.
Structural realism
Offence vs Defense realism
Reductionist approach. war can be the cause of both war and peace
3 types of analysis within structural realism
Unit Level - Human Nature
State Level - Bad States
Anarchy - There is nothing to prevent war from happening. Man with no government above to protect them.
Rosseau Stag Hunt metaphor
It is difficult to cooperate - life back in the state of nature.
In times of desperation a hunter will go after a rabbit in favor of the stag, which will sabotage the rest of the hunters. This is because, all of the hunters would be tempted, so the hunter must act selfishly.
Neither moral or immoral. It is survival.
As long as there is anarchy, there will be conflict in war.
Waltz, theory of international politics
Variation - war in certain situations is more or less likely
Survival - Above all states want to survive
Self-Help violence works under anarchy. Violence benefits for defense. Building up military and economics
Balance of power – Equilibrium. Starting violence is futile without advantage.
Balance of power can be achieved through building up capabilities, establishing alliances.
This equilibrium is fragile however as the system is prone to instability. I.e. WW1 scale through alliances.
In a bipolar system it is simple – USSR and US. Easy to maintain balance and equilibrium. If balance cannot be maintained there
will be conflict
Nuclear war - human extermination
Bipolar - 2 super powers cooperate. This is necessary for the USSR and US’s survival.
Mearsheimer
Prominent critic of the Russo Ukrainian war.
Great powers have aggressive intentions.
Countries less willing to start war in the nuclear era.
