Lecture #1

Dominant Theoretical Perspectives in I.R

Realism
 Key Concept For Lecture : International Security
• Anarchy: A state of society without government or law. Political and
social disorder due to the absence of governmental control.
• Security Dilemma: Refers to a situation in which actions by a state
intended to heighten its security, such as increasing its military strength
or making alliances, can lead other states to respond with similar
measures, producing increased tensions that create conflict, even
when no side really desires it.
• Problems of Credible Commitment: A commitment problem is a
situation in which people cannot achieve their goals because of an
inability to make credible threats or promises.
 Key Concepts: International Security
• Deterrence: It is s the use of punishment as a threat to deter people from
offending. Deterrence is often contrasted with retributivism, which holds that
punishment is a necessary consequence of a crime and should be calculated
based on the gravity of the wrong done,
• Compellence: It is the situation in which an actor ceases or reverses actions
because the costs imposed by other actors are or will soon outweigh the gains of
those actions.
• Mutual Assured Destruction: (MAD) is a doctrine of military strategy and national
security policy in which a full-scale use of nuclear weapons by two or more
opposing sides would cause the complete annihilation of both the attacker and
the defender
• Just War Theory: (jus bellum iustum) is a doctrine, also referred to as a tradition,
of military ethics studied by theologians, ethicists, policy makers, and military
Realism
Realism:
• Dominant approach among scholars/practitioners;
has faced increasing challenges in recent years
• Claims to deal with world “as it is” rather than as one
would wish it to be (“idealists”)
• Key thinkers: Thucydides, Machiavelli, Hobbes,
Morgenthau, Kissinger, Waltz
• International system as anarchic “self-help” system
Realism:
• States as primary actors
• States focus on maximizing power and/or security,
placing interests above morality
• Pessimism about cooperation, IGOs, and
international law; guard state sovereignty against
supranational authority
• Emphasis on state-to-state relations over domestic
conditions within foreign countries
 Realism:
• Realists are interested in conflict management, but are less
optimistic about the effectiveness of international laws and
organizations.
• They also are not very optimistic about the extent of international
cooperation.
• Realists view international relations almost exclusively as a “struggle
for power” among competing nation-states.
• Nation-states, like human beings, have an innate desire to dominate
others.
• To Realists, the ultimate goal of all countries is security in a hostile,
anarchic environment.
 Realism:

• Realist policies are determined by power

calculations in pursuit of national security.
• Countries satisfied with their situation tend to
pursue the status quo.
• Countries that are dissatisfied tend to be
expansionists.
• Alliances are made and broken based on the
requirements of “realpolitik."
Realism:
• Realists focus on military strategy, the elements of
national power, and the nature of national interests
more so than on international law and organization.
• From World War Two, they learned that the way to
prevent future wars was a “balance of power”
capable of deterring would-be aggressors or on a
“concert of powers” willing to police the world.
• Examples: Cold War, NATO, Warsaw Pact
Realism:

• Human rights concerns have no place in

foreign policy unless they happen to
coincide with the national interests
Realism:

•Classical Realism (more focus on human

nature as cause of conflict) vs. Neo-
Realism (emphasis on structure of
international system)
•Balance of power vs. balance of threat
theories
 Realism: Deterrence
• Focus on military capabilities and worst case scenario
• Conduct foreign policy based on possibilities of threat
• Deterrence---Threat and/or Use of Military Force
• Don’t or else!
• Dissuade another from taking an action by threat of punishment.
• Example: Nuclear strategy of Cold War
Realism: Compellence
• Compellence is when you force another country
to stop what they are doing or to do something
they otherwise would not do by use of threat or
use of force
• Examples: Truman and atomic bomb with
Japan, Gulf War in 1991
Realism Case Study
 Realism Case Study: Otto von Bismarck
• The Prime Minister of Prussia in the late 1800’s.
• Practiced “realpolitik”
• “Politics of reality”
• Belief in practical goals instead of theory or idealism
• Not concerned about morals or ethics
• Doing whatever you think is necessary to achieve your goals
• Believed Prussia destined to lead German people to
unification
• Method to gain unification: “Blood and Iron”
 Realism Case Study: Otto von Bismarck
• Blood = Soldiers, Iron = Swords
• We are not going to talk. We are going to fight for what we want.
• Speeches are not important. Action is important.
• Fight!!! War!!!
• Bismarck builds up the Prussian army
• Bismarck led Prussia into three wars
1. Danish War, 1864
2. Austro-Prussian War, 1866
3. Franco-Prussian War, 1871
• Each war increased Prussia’s power and paved the way for German unity