Theories of International Relations Fourth Edition Scott Burchill ‘Andrew Linklater Richard Devetak Jack Donnelly Terry Nardin Matthew Paterson Christian Reus-Smit Jacqui True palor macmillar30. Introduction the mers of humanitarian intervention lcmational poi theory tsa reminds we about the history of ttereatonal thooght and the broader intlstualconestons Between politcal philosophy and ne ‘ational politics which have not aways heen properly acknowledged ‘Most ofthe author tht vlune Met wah on cre of the perspectives analysed inthis book, but nome anges that any ove theory im slve the many problems which ase for theorist of ternational ‘lation: We se ern llth approche surveyed, and we certainly tcl itis eval to cngage wal thecal perspectives fom the “isd, 0 sce the word from diferent theoretical vantage points, to kam from them to est one own eas asia thr aod ink cae fully about what others would regard a8 the velnrabalies of ones eapectve, whatever it may be Tose who teach the theory of ‘onal rations are sometimes asked wtf the correc theory? We te our ede wll coclde there sno chica eorrectcheory which tolves al he problems ated nts introduction and considered more deal in the paps bow Some may concur wath Marin Wight (1991) that he rh aout eration reson wl ot be fund may one ‘ofthe adiins bu inthe condauingdialgve and debate Beween them: Ths almost ceranly the igheatiudeto ape when approach tne stay of inerationa theory forthe fist ine at may stil be the beat onehaon to draw fom one ata JACK DONNELLY Pala ream, Realpoltit ‘power politi’, is the oldest and most frequently adopted theory of international relations.” Every setious stant most net only acqule deep appreciation of polite realism but dso understand how her own vicw relate to the realist tradition, ‘Therefore, let me lay my cards a the able at the outset. Nocmativly febel again the world depicted in reais theory and Teej realism asa _ prescriptive theory of foreign policy. Aalytcaly however, am no more | fn antcreatst han Lam ares, Realism, Twill argue, i limited yet owerfl and important approach to and se of insight aout nkerna onal elation. "Tike most of the other theories or approaches considered in this volume, realism has two faces. Onthe one hands it isa general orienta tion rooted ins central substantive focus inthis case, power On the | other hand, ita Body of explanatory theories, models, or propos tions in the cae of realism, emphasizing anarchy andthe halance of | power Thin chapter begins and concludes by looking at the general | haractr ofthe realist approach. In between the foes ison particular = realist explanations Defining realism “Although definitions of realism difer in detail sce Donnelly 2000: 6-9; CCauack and Stoll 1990; Chapter 2), they share a clea family resem blanc, “suite distinctive and recognizable flavour (Garnett 1984 110), Realist emphasize the constraints on politic imposed by human telishness gotsm’) and the absence of iternational government 19 Deal 200 prise ghia Be 197 nd eso en ler son oe tit os ade TEBE ace fe ee 95H nd Wi) aero spe Aneta uated wan he en iin peo SRDS Gon eet in sae han gc 352 Realism (Canarchy’), which requie the primacy in all political fe of power and Security (Gilpin 1986: 305). Emblematie tweatieth century figures include Reinhold Niu, Hans Morgenthau, George Kennan, Kenneth Walk, and John Mearsheimer in the United States and FH. Care in ran nthe history of Western political thought, Nicolo Machiaveh and Thomas Hobbes are usually considered realist TRationalcy and state-centim ae frequen fed a cove realist premises (ei. Keohane 1986: 161-5; LynmJones and Miller 1995: i) Bur no (cearonably broad) theory of international relations presumes ineationalty, And if we think of sates’ as a shorthand for polis of political ‘uns, state-centism s widely shared aceos international theo Fis. The core or eealien es the conjantion of anarchy and ego tin the resulting imperatives of pow pits. Realist eecognie that human desire range widely and are remark ably varable. They emphasize, however “the limitations which the ordi and selfish aspects of human nature place on the conduct af Aiplomacy’ (Thompson 1985: 20). Kis above allimportant nt to make treater demands. on human nature than its frailty ean satisfy" [Tvetschke 1916: $90). As Machiavel putt (1970: Book I, Chapter 3), In politics we must act as Wall menace wicked and that they wil always five vent co the malignty that i in thei minds when opportunity ‘fer ‘few theorists (6: Niebur 1982; Tells 1995/96: 89-94) adopeeal- ism asa general theory of politics. Most, however, teat realism asa theory of international politics. Tis shifts our atention fom human ature to pola sractre “The dfference between civilization and barbaris i revelation of| whats essentially the same human ature when ie works under different Conditions’ (Butesfield 1949: 31). Within states, egoism usually is Substantially restrained by hierarchical politcal role. In international Telations, anarchy ~ the absence of government ~ allows, even encour Spe the worst aspects of human nature to be expressed. As John Here prt it (1976: 10), anarchy asures the centrality of the struggle for power "eve inthe absence of agaresvity or similar factors” (et. Waltz 1979 62-3. Stuctral realism? ithe standard label for such realist accounts thot give predominant emphasis to ntenational anarchy. "Neo realism 's the otfersandard term, pointing towards an earlier generation of ‘nore complicated and elect realists. “These earcr‘lascal ests without denying the centrality of ana. hy, alo emphasized human nature. For example, Mongentha (1962:7) “rpc that "the social world [i] bat speojection of human nature onto the collective plan” (cs Nicbuhe 1932: 23). Clasial realist ‘se that ‘conflict sn part seatioally explained, but... bie that even were Jack Dowmelly 33 it nts, pride, last andthe quest fo ory woul cause the war af all szsinst alto continue indeintely. Utnately, cofct and se ate rooted in man nature’ (Waltz 199 1b 35 Catlett ao often pase the le of tatesmanship andthe analysis the arate teat pores ‘Mare recently anew group of eit has staked ot third, some vat intermediate approach the combines ale of rates and the Intra! atte of ste. These ‘neoclaal reait(Rove 1998, Shweler 2003} feu on the ways eich character pens of domes political sytem interact with international scr fons t0 Prodice tat bhavoue ‘Reals can be further distinguished bythe intensity and excasivity ofthc ee el prem, Hee we ca hk of 2 Continuum of postions. “Radia” alts excladeslmoxt everything xcept power nad self-interest fom {iterational polis. The ‘thenian envoysto Melos Thucydides’ The Plopeoesion War Bk yeh. 65-113} expres sca view, buts eld byw ny rns tional theorists. ‘Stong els strse the predominance of power sell interest, and conflict bot allow modest space for pail salient ‘non-reaiat fores and concerns. Niu, Car, Morgenthay, Waly id Massie the leading eins ofthe generains ll ein hs Tange ofthe continu A ave pty we canner timely finda rest ing plac a pure els 1946289)" We orhedged reine acco the relist analy ofthe ‘problem’ of inerntonal politic ut ate fopen toa wider range of polial posites and so more spartan lements of nteratonl elton hing tse the explanatory of realism " " ‘Weak rain gral shades into semehing oe. At some poi (oon-eli) "hedge outweigh the (el) “ore” Conversely snags peat rom oer peropecies way oppel to character eat force and explanations that ‘hedge tha own thor. Hobbes and classical realism Chapter 13 of Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan, orgialy published ia 1651, ‘imagines politics na pre-social tate of nature. Theresa isan unusually clear theory that give oughly equal weight to human ature snd inter ‘ational anarchy. ‘The Hobbesian state of nature bles makes thee simple assumptions: