REALISM PACKETPg 86-89

Criticisms Realists had of Idealists They ignore the role

of power They overestimate the

degree to which humans are rational

They mistakenly believe that nation-states share sets of interests

Overly optimistic re: ending concept of war

Founding thinkers of Realism EH Carr, H.

Morgenthau, R. Nieburh

Older guys (waaay back): Thucydides, Machiavelli, Hobbes

All focused on the broad pervasiveness of power and competition

Lessons of Realism to statesmen Focus on interests

instead o ideology

Seek peace through strength

Great powers can coexist even if diametrically opposed in value systems

Raison d’etat States’ first law of

motion: “It tells the

statesman what he must do to preserve the health and strength of the state.”

The state must pursue power to ensure state survival

Ethics and Morality According to Realism

Statesman’s morality = political necessity and prudence

Justified? Are we okay

with this dual moral standard?

Key Element of Int’l Politics = … For Thucydides:

the polis/citystate For modern

realists: The state

“The state is a legitimate representative of the will of the people”

Hans Morganthau “Int’l politics, like

all politics, is a struggle for power.”

Key difference between int’l and domestic politics: The different

organizational structures in which they exist

Terms Statism Anarchy Power National interest Self-help Balance of Power

Criticisms of Realism It can’t account for:

regional integration Humanitarian

intervention Growth of security

communities Growth of intra-state

war in the global south

The state’s decline as the key actor in int’l politics