Lecture 2 - Realism Flashcards
(33 cards)
Who were the forefathers of realism?
- Thucydides
o Machiavelli
o Hobbes
o Rousseau raison d’
What are the three principles of realism?
- Statism
- Self-help
- Survival
What does the principle of statism mean?
The doctrine that the political authority of the state is legitimate to some degree
a fundamental unit is a state
its State centric
What constitutes a state changes over time
· City state/nation state
a State is a reflection of the people
Realist don’t treat states equally
What does the principle of Self-help mean?
- We live in an anarchic world, being suspicious of other states is the only sensible state of mind: that is how you stay alive
Alliances are only based on self interest -> Individualistic
What does the principle of Survival mean?
The Primary notion of the state is survival
there is only anarchy: there is no world police
States only try to acquire power
Power means security -> Type of power: material power (military, troops, latent power etc.)
What can be seen as an extra principle according by realists for IR?
International politics is a constant struggle for power/ state of war
What do realists think of morality in relation to IR?
Morality, values and justice are unimportant to analysis and conduct of international relations, because;
- Moral values are not universal
- Doing what’s right isn’t necessarily good for the survival of the state: survival is the most important thing® Machiavelli
A state as a moral force that permits domestic lets a ethical community emerge
What are the diffrences between idealists and realists
- Idealist: thought that you can control the international sphere > global security
according to Realist: this can not happen, this a utopian thought
What is the relation of human nature and realist?
Classical realist emphasis on human nature/ lust for power -> Humans drive for power in every situation they are in-> States are made up of humans.
What is balance of power theory?
States may secure their survival by preventing any one state from gaining enough military power to dominate all others.
What are the three patterns of struggle for power and the stressed importance of leadears maintaing a balance of power?
- Status quo
- Imperalism
- Prestige
What is a status Quo?
Keeping how things are now. Not wanting to adjust the present
What is imperalism?
- colonialism
- urge to expand
- Enlarging in hard power
What is prestige?
- Demostrated power,
- ‘’it’s better to be feared than loved, if one cannot be both’’ Machiavelli
- Conflict readiness
- Pristine
E.G: Parades, weapon shows etc
What is the three characterisations of the international structure of Waltz?
- organising principles
- Differentation of units
- Distribution of capabilities
What is a organising principle?
Diffrence between hierarchy and anarchic
A National structure is: hierarcic
A International strcuture is anarchic
What is the differentation of units?
view of states as functionally similar: striving for the same thing, security
achieve security by striving for power
What are the distributions of capabilites?
· how power is distributed through the structure
· not describing the power of individual states
· polarity
What are the five neo-realists assumptions of IR according to Mearsheimer?
- Anarchic system: no world police
- Military capable states: all states are potentially dangerous
- Uncertainty of intentions
- Motivated by survival
- Instrumentally rational states: coalitions/ temporary friends
What are the three patterns of behavior that are based on assumtions according by Mearsheimer?
- States fear each other
- States prioritise their own survival: it pays to be selfish
- States prioritise relative gains
What are the two forms of gains?
Absolute gains= what you get
Relative gains= what you get in comparison to others. |
v
E.G: Country A has 10 nukes. Country B 15. The relative gain of country B is 5
What is a defensive realist?
theory of Waltz, states gain an appropriate amount of power (states are wary of triggering power balance)
What is an offensive realist?
A theory of Mearheimer. states should constatanly strive for more power
What are two problems of balance of power?
- Balancing is inefficient: someone is always going to have more
- States aren’t always clear on how much power they have; ambiguity
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E.G: Country A does not know how much nukes country B has. therefore the relatived gained power for country A is unknown.
