Realism Flashcards
Basic premises
- State is the primary actor in the international arena
- State operates to achieve power and security
Notion of war
“War is politics by another means”- Clauswitz
“Politics is a struggle for power over men” - Morgenthau
View of international institutions and cooperation
short-lived and reflecting the interests of the Great Powers.
View of international system
anarchical, self-help system, which is qualitatively different from domestic polities. This international system is formed by the military and power relationships between states.
Notion of peace
absence of general war (very restricted view of peace).
Main threats to peace & security
anarchical nature of international system;
rapid change within international system (which can make power relationships unclear – wars often break out when the opposing camps both believe that they can win the war; war is result of miscalculation);
too much ideological zeal in international politics.
States live in the world of…
Anarchy
Each state pursues
Its own national interest. States operate in the field of incomplete information
Treaties and alliances…
Last as long as it us expedient
Everything is…
Strictly business, nothing is personal
Struggle for power…
Is rooted in human nature
Security Dilemma
- all states want security
- security is zero sum game
- nobody is safe despite best efforts
Balance of Power
- power gain by A leads to efforts by B to balance this power increase
- state can balance internally and externally
Realism reminds us..
That world is anarchic and there is absence of anyone being in charge internationally
In this world..
States are protagonists and knowing there is nothing higher than a state it pursues national interest - power and security
Realism begins with…
A simple yet profound premise: the state is a principal actor
There is nothing higher…
Than a state that manages, shapes and regulates the international system
States are constantly…
Seeking power and security, day in and day out, Monday to Sunday
Power increases…
Security and security enables one to gain power
State of anarchy…
Creates an uncertain environment. States are like chess players
At the heart of realism…
Relies the struggle for power.
Classical realists like…
Machiavelli and Hobbes remind us that struggle for power is inescapable.
Machiavelli speaks of leaders…
Who must be ruthless but fair.
Hobbes describes…
That the state of nature is the state of war
Together Machiavelli and Hobbes…
Paint a picture of a world, where thirst for power leads to predictable outcomes- competition, conflict and war
War in the realist world…
Isn’t a failure but a necessity and unavoidable will
When diplomacy delays its arrival or state cannot achieve primary objectives…
War is only solution
Defensive realists…
Like Waltz argue that states cannot achieve enough power to secure survival
Offensive realists…
Such as Mearsheimer say that states can never have enough power
Classical realism…
Rooted in human nature emphasizes selfishness of individuals and historic patterns
There are strong and weak states and each must act according to their capabilities
Neorealism
Shifts focus from human nature to the structure of international relations.
Waltz’s systemic analyses power distribution to unipolar, bipolar and multipolar systems, each with its own implications for stability and conflict
Neoclassical Realism
Reminds us that states are shaped by internal structures and subjective interpretations of their leaders
Central to realism…
Could be the Security Dilemma, hunting paradox where one state’s quest for security threatens others
This zero-sum game…
Ensures no state ever feels entirely safe.
Balancing and bandwagoning…
Become strategies for survival
Realism reveals…
New raw mechanics of the international system: power security and survival
Realism is a…
Mirror held up to the world which forces us to conform uncomfortable truths about human nature, power and conflict
