Realism and Lord of the Flies Flashcards
What is realism?
dominant theoretical perspective in the IR discipline, however the vast majority of IR theorists are not realists.
There are severe limitations in humans ability to reason and its ability to achieve the progressive, liberal goals that most of us take for granted as moral truths,
define power in IR terms
the ability of actors to acquire the resources they need and want.
utilized realtionally, to indicate the ability of one actor to influence and control either another actor our outcomes that pertain to them
what distinguishes the realist treatment of relative power for its use in other perspective is the causal omnipotence it is assigned
all depends on the relative power of the actors involved
polarity in IR and power
what the relatively powerful actors want will set the stage for all other actors, interests, and outcomes.
polarity (the number of great powers in a given period of time) produces a particular behavioral patterns
“might makes right” exists because there is an absence of a higher authority to protect and dispense justice equitably
balance of power according to realists
according to realists, the combination anarchy and relative power leads to a behavior pattern called balance of power, in which power is sought by the relatively weak to counter the relatively strong
two forms of balancing : external alliances or internal capabilities
power creates uncertainties, and these uncertainties lead to decisions and outcomes that realists argue are the inevitable consequences of anarchy. one consequence: security dilemma (nation states then arm themselves for defensive purposes)
how do realists characterize IR?
Realists charactarize the condition of IR as the “tragedy of power politics”
Political thinkers (realists)
Nicollo Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes, Jean Jacques Rousseau
they all believed that there were limitations on human reason and its ability to achieve progress
Realist assumptions (generally)
centrality of the nation state to global politics, the treatment of the nation state as a unitary, rational actor, the dominance of national security over all other IR issues
This list is misleading because it suggests there is a consensus among realists
classical realists, Neo or structural realism, offensive realism, defensive realism, neoclassical realism, etc.
one of the fundamental differences between some realism variants is their level of analysis
they all fall under the umbrella of the denial of basic, qualitative progress in IR
classical realism
human lust for power was the motivation for conflict
neo/structural realism
rejects human nature as a source of conflict and attempts to create a purely structural version of realism that adheres to scientific expectations.
positivist, deductive, and systemic (all states at the same time)
3 attributes
1) anarchy
2) system is composed of like units that seek to survive, but have different material capabilities
3) defined by the distribution
what has happened throughout history and how can we apply it to what could happen
national interest is defined by the international system
offensive realism
nation states want to maximize their aggregate power and will therefore be predisposed to expansionist policies
defensive realism
assumes that states instead want to maximize security, which can lead to security dilemma dynamics that produce a wider range of possible outcomes and policies
neoclassical realism
focuses on internal variables as intervening variables between the pressures of the international system and the nation-state’s policymaking response
anarchy+uncertainty+survival = State behavior in structural realism
realism is very parsimonious, so we need to add an additional variable
anarchy+uncertainty+survival+domestic level factors=state behavior
there is a difference in regime type
national interest is defined by the regime
realists and the nation state
they focus of the nation sate because they argue that the nation-state has remained relatively more powerful than other types of international actors like IO’s and MNC’s, capitalist forces, religions, and cultures.
central ideas of realism
power: basis for state behavior
anarchy:
balance of power: one state tries to amass as much power as possible to overwhelming dominate, small powers come together,
uncertainty
key assumptions about how the international system operates
The nation-state is the main actor in IR. Main unit of analysis
the nation-state is a unitary, rational actor
security is the most important issue area
the international system is one of self-help
The international system breeds insecurity, and thus conflict is inevitable. If you don’t know what other actors are going to do, other states are seeking to maximize their power and you’re always on the offense or defense
we have not made much progress towards the peaceful coexistence of states. humans have not gotten the memo yet
