3.8: Conclusion
- Page ID
- 291406
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Realism is a foundational theory in International Relations, offering valuable insights into the behavior of states in an anarchic international system. Its emphasis on power, national interest, and the competitive nature of global politics has shaped the field of IR and continues to do so.
Vocabulary
- Actor: Actors in international relations are the entities that make international relations work.
- Classical Realism: A branch of realism that emphasizes the role of human nature in driving state behavior, often associated with thinkers like Hans Morgenthau.
- Deterrence: A strategy aimed at preventing an adversary from taking an undesirable action by threatening significant retaliation, often used in the context of military power.
- Game Theory: A way of conceptualizing what motivates a political actor in terms of the steps the actor takes to reach what they deem to be the optimal outcome for themselves.
- Hegemon: A state that holds predominant power in a unipolar system and is capable of setting the rules and norms for the international system.
- National Interest: The strategic goals and objectives of a state, often centered around ensuring security, power, and survival in the international system.
- Neorealism (Structural Realism): A branch of realism that emphasizes the structure of the international system, particularly its anarchic nature, as the primary determinant of state behavior, associated with Kenneth Waltz.
- Niccolò Machiavelli: A Renaissance political theorist known for his work The Prince, which provides pragmatic advice on maintaining power, often referenced in discussions of realism.
- Power: The ability of a state to influence others and achieve its objectives, often measured in terms of military, economic, and political strength.
- Proxy Wars: Conflicts in which each of the warring parties is supported and funded by a larger party who has a vested interest in the outcome.
- Realism: A theoretical approach in International Relations that emphasizes the competitive and conflictual aspects of international politics, focusing on power, self-interest, and the inevitability of conflict.
- Relative Power: The measure of power a state has in comparison to other states, crucial in determining a state's behavior in the international system.
- State: The primary actor in the international system according to realism, possessing sovereignty and the ability to make decisions independently of external forces.
- State of Nature: A concept in political philosophy describing life without a central authority, pre-government.
- Thucydides: An ancient Greek historian whose work on the Peloponnesian War is often cited as a foundational text for realist thought.
- Thomas Hobbes: A political philosopher known for his concept of the "state of nature," which describes life without a central authority as chaotic and violent, a key idea in realist thought.
- Zero-Sum Game: A situation in which one state's gain is equivalent to another state's loss, reflecting the competitive nature of international relations in realism.
Additional Resources
Carr, “Realism and Idealism” [excerpt from The Twenty Years’ Crisis 1919-1939]
Gilpin, Robert. 1981. War and Change in World Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hobbes,Thomas. “The State of Nature and the State of War” [excerpt from Leviathan]
Jakobsen, Jo. 2013. “Neorealism in International Relations—Kenneth Waltz.” Popular Social Science. (November 2013).
Machiavelli, Niccolò. “Doing Evil in Order to Do Good” [excerpt from The Prince]
Morgenthau, Hans, and Thompson, Kenneth. 1985. Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. 6th edition. Chapters 1 and 3.
Thucydides, “The Melian Dialogue” [excerpt from The History of the Peloponnesian War]