Review Flashcards
Classical Realism (Steven Walt - One World Many Theories)
> Because of human nature, states respond to anarchy by seeking to gain power and dominate others
> Hans Morgenthau is a classical realist
(stressed the virtues of a multipolar balance of power)
Neorealist Theory (Steven Walt - One World Many Theories)
> Ignored human nature and looked at the effects of the international system
> Anarchy would lead weaker states to balance against more powerful rivals
> Articulated by Kenneth Waltz, who unlike Morgenthau thought bipolarity was more stable
E.H. Carr (20 Years of Crisis)
> Liberal and written in 1939
> Tries to find a middle ground between realism (deterministic/power/bureaucrat) and utopianism (aspirational/principles/intelectual)
> Wilsonian Liberalism failed – > but ethical international politics are possible if pursued practically
Hans Morgenthau (6)
- Politics is governed by objective laws that have their roots in human nature.
- Statesmen conduct themselves in terns of interest defined as power.
- Interest determines political conduct within the political and cultural context which foreign policy is formulated.
- Prudence is the supreme virtue in international politics.
- Nations are entities that pursue their interests as defined by power and should not be judged by universal moral principles.
- Political realism rejects the legalistic-moralistic approach to international politics.
Thucydides (The Melian Dialogue)
> The world is anarchy (no divine intervention)
> Force trumps law (anarchy)
> States try to maximize power
> States are self-interested uniformly and act rationally (system level analysis)
> Deviation of “realist” principles is harmful (looking weak)
(State behavior similar to Mearsheimer)
John Mearsheimer (5 Assumption)
- The World is in Anarchy
- States have the ability to afflict damage
- States can never be sure of each other’s intentions
- States primary goal is to survive
- States pursue that goal rationally
Thus — > Goal is to maximize power and other major powers will try and block emerging hegemony
Machiavelli
> Holding power is the highest virtue
> It is better to be feared than loved (but don’t be hated)
> Cannot rely on love
> Must be cunning and where many hats
> Fox (traps) and the lion (strength)
Stephen Walt - Alliance Formation
> States form alliances to balance against threats rather than bandwagon with them. Threats, in turn, are the product of several different sources
> The instruments of “bribery” and penetration are by themselves weak determinants of alignment
> Ideology is a weaker cause of alliance formation, and ideological movements that strive for tight central authority are more likely to lead to conflict than cooperation
> In a balancing world, policies that demonstrate restraint and benevolence are best (to limit balancing)
Bentham
> Utilitarian philosopher (maximize happiness)
> Basically wanted world government
> States should sometimes act against their self interest
> People should be taught enlightenment principles
Wilson 14 points
> Modernizes and contextualizes Kantian ideas
> World should use norms and institutions to create peace and stability
> Spread laudable ideals
> Over the long-term such institutions serve the common good
> Shades of democratic peace theory
Mansfield and Snyder - Prone to violence
> Establishing democracy without strong institutions can create internal conflict (particularly ethnic conflict)
> Early state democracies are also more warlike
> Red flags for democracy include ethnic political lines, low literacy, and concentrated economy
> It is better to be patient and wait until a society can build a stable democracy
Singer - Levels of Analysis
> A good theory should describe, explain, and predict
> System analysis is abstract and deterministic – but also practical and broadly applicable
> State-level analysis is granular and nuanced, but prone to enthocentlrism and overstate differences. Hard to know what motivates behavior
> Both approaches are useful, but should be careful wehn choosing
Deutsch and J. David Singer - Multipolarity
> Multipolarity creates more opportunities for interaction and thus “cross balancing”’ (also attentional issues limit conflict)
> Weaken arms races but make disarmament harder
> Has some long-run issues (state creation/destruction and edge cases
Waltz - Stability in a bipolar world
> Bipolarity more stable
> Reduces uncertainty because two great powers had to focus only on each other.
> Lessened conflict because each of the poles would rely mainly on its own internal resources to balance the other, eliminating the need to compete with each other over third parties
> Power–not nuclear weapons–are the cause of stability (no one will catch up soon)
Gilpin - Origins of hegemonic war
> Hegemonic wars are unique because they fundamentally change the IR system of power
> “Shocks” (including domestic) can bring about power changes
> Fear of eroding power and cause hegemonic war
> Major war is still possible in the modern, nuclear era
