Key Assumptions of Realism
- Groups as Main Actors:
- Humans thrive and survive beyond subsistence levels only through security provided by groups (e.g., states).
- Anarchy in International Politics (IP):
- Lack of a central governing authority is the defining feature of international politics.
- Without a sovereign power, the international system operates in anarchy, leading to patterns of state interactions.
- Self-Interest and Survival:
- Political actions by individuals or groups are driven by narrow self-interest.
- In an anarchical system, self-interest is fundamentally about state survival.
- Power as Central:
- Power is key to self-interest and often takes material or military forms.
- Inequalities in power shape international dynamics.
- Polarity:
- The number of great powers (polarity) in the system defines international stability and instability.
Varieties of Realism
1. Classical Realism
- Pre-1979 theories (Thucydides, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Morgenthau, E. H. Carr).
- Emphasizes human nature as the driver of power struggles and war.
- Hobbes: Humans in the state of nature are aggressive; without government, life is “nasty, brutish, and short.”
- States are self-interested and pursue power for survival, reflecting the anarchic international system.
2. Structural Realism (Neo-Realism)
- Origin: Kenneth Waltz’s Theory of International Politics (1979).
- Focus: The structure of the anarchic international system, not human nature, explains persistent conflict.
- Anarchy means no higher authority guarantees survival.
- States seek power to ensure survival, leading to the security dilemma:
- A state’s actions to secure itself (e.g., military buildup) decrease others’ security, creating perpetual competition.
Defensive vs. Offensive Realism:
- Defensive Realism (Kenneth Waltz):
- States are security maximizers, accumulating only enough power for survival.
- Excessive power accumulation destabilizes the system.
- Examples: Realists like Morgenthau opposed the Vietnam War; Stephen Walt criticized the Iraq War as hubristic empire-building.
- Offensive Realism (John Mearsheimer):
- States are power maximizers, seeking hegemony to ensure survival.
- Aggression can pay off despite its costs.
Key Assumptions of Realism
- Groups as Main Actors:
- Humans thrive and survive beyond subsistence levels only through security provided by groups (e.g., states).
- Anarchy in International Politics (IP):
- Lack of a central governing authority is the defining feature of international politics.
- Without a sovereign power, the international system operates in anarchy, leading to patterns of state interactions.
- Self-Interest and Survival:
- Political actions by individuals or groups are driven by narrow self-interest.
- In an anarchical system, self-interest is fundamentally about state survival.
- Power as Central:
- Power is key to self-interest and often takes material or military forms.
- Inequalities in power shape international dynamics.
- Polarity:
- The number of great powers (polarity) in the system defines international stability and instability.
Varieties of Realism
1. Classical Realism
- Pre-1979 theories (Thucydides, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Morgenthau, E. H. Carr).
- Emphasizes human nature as the driver of power struggles and war.
- Hobbes: Humans in the state of nature are aggressive; without government, life is “nasty, brutish, and short.”
- States are self-interested and pursue power for survival, reflecting the anarchic international system.
2. Structural Realism (Neo-Realism)
- Origin: Kenneth Waltz’s Theory of International Politics (1979).
- Focus: The structure of the anarchic international system, not human nature, explains persistent conflict.
- Anarchy means no higher authority guarantees survival.
- States seek power to ensure survival, leading to the security dilemma:
- A state’s actions to secure itself (e.g., military buildup) decrease others’ security, creating perpetual competition.
Defensive vs. Offensive Realism:
- Defensive Realism (Kenneth Waltz):
- States are security maximizers, accumulating only enough power for survival.
- Excessive power accumulation destabilizes the system.
- Examples: Realists like Morgenthau opposed the Vietnam War; Stephen Walt criticized the Iraq War as hubristic empire-building.
- Offensive Realism (John Mearsheimer):
- States are power maximizers, seeking hegemony to ensure survival.
- Aggression can pay off despite its costs.
