International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity

Chapter 3: Classical Realism

By Richard Ned Lebow

Learning objectives
After this lecture you should be able to: Appreciate the key principles and themes of classical realism Understand the main differences between classical realism and neorealism Apply classical realist themes to contemporary world politics

Problems of neorealism
Classical realism considers neorealism a parody of science: it is overly parsimonious, unfalsifiable and does not adequately theorise key concepts such as polarity and power The decline of neorealism since the end of the Cold War has resulted in renewed interest in classical realist thinkers.

Key classical realists

Key classical realists include:
Thucydides, Machiavelli, Von Clausewitz, Morgenthau

They have been interested in questions of order, justice and change across 2500 years They tend to
- advocate holistic understanding of politics - recognise the close relationship of domestic and international - acknowledge the role of ethics and community - regard history as cyclical

Domestic and international

Classical realists do not make a strong distinction between domestic politics and the anarchical realm of world politics They see the cohesiveness of community and shared norms as central in maintenance of order and restraint in international relations as in domestic politics

Balance of power
Classical realists appreciate the importance of balance of power in international relations. However, they do not see it as an effective deterrent of war but rather as a potential cause of conflict Order ultimately rests on strength of community for classical realists. For example, for Morgenthau it was norms of international society rather than the distribution of capabilities that maintained the effectiveness of balance of power in Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries

Interests and justice

Neorealists emphasise interests as the priority of state goals. Classical realists emphasise justice as the foundation of community and order For classical realists justice is important for two reasons:
1) Because it is the key to influence 2) Because it provides the basis on which actors construct their interests

Change and modernisation

For classical realists, change is associated with modernisation, which brings about shifts in identities and discourses, and hence conceptions of security In restoring order both Thucydides and Morgenthau looked for a combination of old and new to accommodate changes while limiting their destructive potential

Theory
Classical realists conception of theory is distinct from contemporary realism: Thucydides emphasised the context dependence of foreign policy actions Morgenthau also denied general laws and predictions

Case study: Iraq

Iraq war can be seen from a classical realist perspective as a tragedy in the Greek sense At the end of the Cold War US moved towards unilateralism. Intoxication with power led the Bush Administration to hubris This can be seen in the case of Iraq: the operation in Iraq was poorly prepared and relied on hope more than reason The failure of the Iraq operation reminds us that great powers are their own worst enemy

Conclusion
The notion of tragedy captures the contradiction between the ability of man and his propensity to destroy with violence what has been achieved Classical realists were pessimistic of the ability of the powerful to exercise selfrestraint but a key theme of classical realism is that it offers prudence as an antidote to hubris