realism

Question 1

name four key scholars on realism and their year of reference

Answer 1

morgenthau 1948, hobbes 1651, waltz 1979, mearseheimer 2001

Question 2

what was morgenthoaus main contributions

Answer 2

the 6 principles of political realism
- politics governed by objective laws
- IR is shaped by state interests
- interest in power is objective and universal
- no universal moral principles
- refuses to identify moral aspirations
- autonomy of the political sphere

Question 3

what were hobbes main contributions to realism

Answer 3

• state of nature is anarchic
• men are motivated by power and glory, war is a logical consequence

Question 4

what were waltz’s main contributions

Answer 4

• balance of power, the international theatre is comprised of states competing for power by growing stronger
• defensive realism - states seek survival as their base function
• anarchy causes states to compete for security

Question 5

what were mearseheimers contributions

Answer 5

offensive realism - states maximise power to ensure security
- big powers are primed for conflict

Question 6

what are the core points of realism

Answer 6

• focus on power and sovereignty
• humanity is self interested and seeks power
• politics is a competition for power
• IR - there is an absence of international authority

Question 7

what are the key points of classical realism

Answer 7

• humans drive for power so war is common
• balance of power, global and regional
• states recognise no power higher than themselves and are the primary actors

Question 8

what are some limitations of classical realism

Answer 8

• overemphasis on the human nature, is everyone inherently power seeking
• ignores non state actors
• underestimation of international cooperation

Question 9

what are key features of neoclassical realism

Answer 9

• states respond to international pressures through the filter of domestic politics, perceptions and state capacity
• domestic factors mediate responses on global scales (state culture, leadership perspectives)

Question 10

what are limitations of neoclassical realism

Answer 10

• to ambiguous ( incorporates to many variables such as state capacity, leader perception)
• complex methodology, how do you measure perception

Question 11

what are the main points of neorealism

Answer 11

• focus of the system, the system determines choice of strategy, creates security and conflict
• offensive and defensive realism
• interdependence produces vulnerability
• hierarchy of states with a hegemon

Question 12

what is relative power

Answer 12

• if it is illogical for you to be the global hegemon, strive to be the regional hegemon

Question 13

what are some limitations of structural (neo) realism

Answer 13

• overemphasis on structure and anarchy, assumes all states are the same
• inability to explain change (end of CW)
• static view, portrays the international system as unchanging and unable to cooperate