Realism
From Last Lesson
What is legitimacy and what are the main factors that lead to legitimacy?
Prescribed Content
Definitions and theories of power
Activating Your Thinking
“It is better to be feared than loved.”
Machiavelli, The Prince
“The life of man is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.”
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan
“International politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power.”
Hans J. Morgenthau
“Since man has to support his life by his own effort, for one to say that being concerned with one’s own interests is evil means that man’s desire to live is evil, that man’s life, as such, is evil. No doctrine could be more evil than that.”
Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness
“The conqueror shall think of the circle of states as a wheel - himself at the hub and his allies, drawn to him by the spokes though separated by intervening territory, as its rim”
“Whatever policy you may lay down, the art of conducting the foreign affairs of a country lies in finding out what is most advantageous to the country. We may talk about international goodwill and mean what we say. But in the ultimate analysis, a government functions for the good of the country it governs and no government dare do anything which in the short or long run is manifestly to the disadvantage of that country.”
Kautilya, Arthathastra, 5th Century CE
Which of the above quotes resonates with you most? why?
To what extent are human beings inherently selfish?
Lesson Content
Viewing Questions:
What is realism about?
Why don't realists want to be interdependent?
How do realists view peace and harmony?
What is a just war for a realist?
Viewing Questions:
Why do states attempt to be as powerful as possible?
What do "human nature realists" like Hans Morgenthau believe?
What do structural realists like John Mearsheimer and Kenneth Waltz believe about international affairs?
Why does Mearsheimer believe that China will try to increase its military might and become a hegemon?
Global Politics in Action
A Realist Perspective on the Reasons Behind Putin's Invasion of Ukraine
Read all of the Stephen Walt's "Does Anyone Still Understand the 'Security Dilemma'?" and the section of Berman's article entitled, "Now, it is true that from the standpoint of a traditional foreign-policy" then compare and contrast their realist perspectives on Putin's motivations for invading Ukraine.
Guiding questions for both videos:
What is the purpose of these demonstrations of power?
Why does North Korea deem them as necessary? Consider seriously the "why" part of this question in the context of Global Politics.
Extension Activities
Viewing Question:
How would a realist view this conflict?
Checking For Understanding
Choose a current political issue and explain both how it would be viewed by a realist and why it would be viewed that way.
For Next Lesson
Take notes on the following excerpt from Lamy et al. - Liberalism: pages 87-95