Realism Kaisa Ellandi Lecture 2 Kenneth Waltz. Realism.. States are: ◦ Self-interested ◦ Aggressive ◦ Will pursue their interest to the detriment of others.

RealismRealism

Kaisa EllandiLecture 2

Kenneth Waltz

Realism..Realism..States are:

◦Self-interested◦Aggressive◦Will pursue their interest to the

detriment of others◦Without regard to law and morality

Main problem is: anarchy - no world government

RealismRealism… conflicts are inevitableStates must be strong and face

aggression

Key pointsKey pointsSovereign states are key actors in IRState are motivated by a drive for

power and pursuit of the „national interest“

Main problem – anarchyConflicts is an ever-present reality of IR

(lack of world government and aggressive intent of states)

Alliances among states – so no state would become overwhelmingly powerful

Key pointsKey pointsPower is the key to

understanding international behavior and state motivation;

Individuals are selfish – this is the cause of conflicts

Main problem: lack of central authority

The state and powerThe state and powerState has

◦defined territory, ◦government, ◦sovereign authority, ◦recognition,◦exercises power over it’s people

Central characteristics: sovereignty◦Internal and external sovereignty

State and powerState and powerPower is the ability to change

behavior and dominate over othersMilitary capability as an essence of

powerMilitary capability depends on:

◦Population◦Abundance of natural resources◦Geographical factors◦Type of government

Balance of powerBalance of powerTo prevent the dominance of any

one state in the international system

The main aim of “balance of power” is to preserve the security of states, if necessary by means of war

Conflict and violence Conflict and violence Kenneth Waltz „Man, the State and

War“ (1959)Human nature is the root cause of

warNational interests lead inevitably to

nationalistic clashes with other states

Structure of international system itself leads to conflict by forcing states to act in a certain way

Peace and SecurityPeace and SecurityPeace is a condition characterized

by an absence of warRelationship between state and

peace is not straightforwardSecurity is about state survival Thanks to balance of power, most

of the states are secure Each state has to provide for its

own security

Institutions and world Institutions and world orderorderMain actors in IR: states Hedley Bull: International

Institutions are „states in waiting“International institutions are

significant only to the extent that they allow states to pursue their own interest.

Hegemony ( a concept of neo-realist) is the dominance of a single power

Identity and communityIdentity and communityPeople identify with the nation

stateMain community is the nation-

state communityState must be concentrated on

the well-being of its citizens