“

Where there is no common power, there is no law: where no law, no injustice;

if there be no power erected, or not great enough for our security; every man
will and may lawfully rely on his strength and art, for caution against all other
men.

”
Hobbes, Leviathan, Part I, Ch.13 ‘Of Man’, and Part II, Ch.17, ‘Of Commonwealth’
REALISM
Alcantara, Andrea Carmela
Badong, Errol Ivan
Guerrero, Alex Jay
 M
IS
L Realism is the most dominant school of thought since World War 2.

● Most compelling general framework for international relations

EA

Realism is a political theory that assumes that power is the primary

end of a political action.
R

It then results to power maximization of an individual or a state.

Basic Outline of Realism

● The international politics are anarchic

● Sovereign state is the principal actor in the international relations
● State is a rational unitary actors which acting under the consideration of
its own national interest
Basic Outline of Realism

● National security and survival are the primary goal of the state.
● National power and capabilities determined the relations among states.
REALISM’S

R ● Thucydides (460BC-406BC)

I ● Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527)

G ● Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

I ● Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

N
TH
UC
4
06 Y
BC
-4
DI
60 DE
BC
S
● Realpolitik
 I
LL
VE
● National Interest of
A
7
52
HI
-1
69
AC
14

the State
M
 S E
BB

● Anarchy and
79
- 16
HO
88
15

Human Nature
 U
EA
● Defensive Power
S
8
77
US
-1
12
17

and Survival
RO
 AU
TH
0 Politics Among
N
198
GE
4-

Nations: The Struggle

1 90
OR

for Power and Peace

M
 AU
TH Six principles of political realism
0
N
98
● Objective laws which have root in human nature
1
GE
4-

govern politics.
90

● The key to understanding international politics is

1
OR

the concept of interest defined in terms of power.

● The forms and nature of state power will vary in
M

time, place, and context, but the concept of interest

remains consistent.
 AU
●
TH Universal moral principles do not guide state
behavior, although this does not rule out an
0 awareness of the moral significance of political
N
198
action.
GE
4-

● Moral aspirations are specific to a particular nation;

1 90

there is no universally agreed set of ethical

OR

principles.
● The political sphere is autonomous, meaning that
M

international politics is “How does policy affect the

power of the nation?”
 RR
CA
● Power as the root cause of conflict
2
1 98
2-

● He opposed “utopian idealism”

H
9
18
E.

● Any state should increase it national strength and

resist the power of the powerful state through the
balance of power
 6 KEY AS SUMPTI ONS
R
E
1. ANARCHY
A
- No central authority in the system
L
2. HUMAN NATURE
I
S - Selfish, dominating others and greedy for power

M
 6 KEY AS SUMPTI ONS
R
E
3. STATISM
A
- State is the main actor, the main goal is to achieve security.
L
4. SURVIVAL
I
S - Precondition of the state before achieving its goal

M
 6 KEY AS SUMPTI ONS
R
E
5. SELF-SUFFICIENCY
A
- Security is attained through it, the possibility of war is
L
sustained
I
6. BALANCE OF POWER
S
- Maintains stability in international arena
M
Thank You :)