Realism Flashcards
4 prime aspects of realism
- The international system is archaic
- States are the most important actors
- All states within the system are unitary, rational actors
- Primary concern of all states is survival
Thomas Hobbs
Leviathan
Life without states, the state of nature, is harsh, brutal, and short.
In the social contract, people give up some freedoms for protection by a sovereign.
Even a dictatorship is preferable to the anarchy of no government
Classical realism
It is the nature of humans that pushes states and individuals to act in a way that places interests over ideologies.
Hans Morgenthau
Politics Among Nations
Human nature is inherently flawed, therefore conflict occurs as a natural outcome of conflicting nations’ search for power.
Liberal realism
the international system, while anarchical in structure, forms a “society of states” where common norms and interests allow for more order and stability than that which may be expected in a strict realist view.
One of the primary fathers of liberal realism
Hedley Bull
The Anarchial Society
Argues for the existence of an international society
Neorealism
Also called structural realism
Power is the most important factor in IR.
To ensure state security, states must be on constant preparation for conflict through economic and military build-up.
Father of neorealism
Kenneth Waltz
Theory of International Politics
Hegemonic stability theory
the international system is more likely to remain stable when a single nation-state is the dominant world power, or hegemon. Thus, the fall of an existing hegemon or the state of no hegemon diminishes the stability of the international system.
Defensive realism
the anarchical structure of the international system encourages states to maintain moderate and reserved policies to attain security.
Father of defensive realism
Kenneth Waltz
Theory of International Politics
Offensive realism
the international system forces states concerned about their security to compete with each other for power.
Achieve hegemony now to ensure security
States best strategy to achieve hegemony is to rely on offensive tactics
Father of offensive realism
John Mearsheimer
The Tragedy of Great Power Politics
Neoclassical realism
The actions of a state in the international system can be explained by systemic, cognitive, and domestic variables
offensive neorealists such as Mearsheimer believe that a state’s best strategy to increase its relative power to the point of achieving hegemony is…
to rely on offensive tactics
