realism, but rather a knot of historically constituted tensions, contradictions, and evasions. (Walker) Different types of Realism: Classical realism Modern realism Neorealism I. The Classification of Realism
istorical Realism Machiavelli is the leading classical exponent of historical realism.
Machiavelli recognized the flux of political life
and he believed that change is a continuous process.
Carr is the modern Machiavelli, advocating a
foreign policy which recognizes the interplay of power and morality, consent and coercion. b. Structural Realism I Structural realism lineage begins with Thucydides representation of power politics as a law of human behaviour. Morgenthau: politics, like society in general, is governed by objective laws that have their roots in human nature. International politics is driven by endless struggle for power which has its roots in human nature. Structural Realism II The cause of conflict is based on anarchic structure of the international system.
Waltz: anarchy prevents states
from entering into cooperative agreements to end the state of war. Liberal Realism Thomas Hobbes famous book, Leviathan, include pessimistic portrayal of human nature.
Hobbes believed that states are less
vulnerable than individuals in the state of nature and states are able to coexist with other sovereigns. Statism Max Weber: the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical force within a given territory. Members of the political community living inside the state to pursue the good life. However, on the outside, in the relations among independent sovereign states, insecurities, threats. Morgenthau: mans control over the minds and actions of other men. According to Realists; power is a relational concept; one does not exercise power in vacuum, but in relation to another entity. power is a relative concept; calculations need to be made not only about ones own power capabilities, but about the power that other state actor possess. Waltz tries to overcome the problem by shifting the focus from power to capabilities.
Resource strength does not always
lead to military victory. For instance; Six Day War (1967) Realists argue that an open, free- trade economic system depends on the existence of a hegemon. Survival Survival is the precondition for attaining all other goals. Recent controversy among defensive and offensive realists about states are security or power maximizers. Defensive realists states have security as their principal interest. Offensive realists the ultimate goal of all states is to achieve a hegemonic position. Henry Kissenger: a nations survival is its first and ultimate responsibility; it cannot be compromised or put to risk.
An ethic of responsibility is frequently
used as a justification for breaking the laws of war, as in the case of the US decision to drop nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.