Transcript Slide 1

REALISM
Origins of Realism
 The realist theory of international relations came into
being during the time of the Great Depression of 1929
when the economies of the major powers of the world
collapsed. This together with the rise of two brutal
dictators gave rise to the realism theory of
international relations. Realism presents a very
negative view of human nature.
 The classical realist Machiavelli points out that “it
must needs be taken for granted that all men are
wicked and that they will always give vent to the
malignity that is in their minds when opportunity
offers.” Realists believe that nation states are always
in conflict with each other and the disputes can only
be resolved through war.
Origins of Realism
 They believe that the state is the most
important authority and all power is
concentrated in the hands of the state. All
the other non- state actors are unimportant
and play a very limited role. The realists
say that sates should act to pursue their
own interests, even if that involves going to
war with another state.
 They say that other theorists present a
very idealistic notion of the state reject the
fact that disputes can be solved through
peaceful means.
Features of Realism
 Human nature is a starting point for realism
in international relations. Realists view
human beings as inherently egoistic and selfinterested to the extent that self-interest
overcomes moral principles.
 Realists, and especially today's neorealists,
consider the absence of government, literally
anarchy, to be the primary determinant of
international political outcomes. The lack of a
common rule-making and enforcing authority
means, they argue, that the international
arena is essentially a self-help system.
Features of Realism
 Insofar as realists envision the world of states as
anarchic, they likewise view security as a central issue.
To attain security, states try to increase their power and
engage in power-balancing for the purpose of deterring
potential aggressors. Wars are fought to
preventcompeting nations from becoming militarily
stronger
 Realists are generally skeptical about the relevance of
morality to international politics. This can lead them to
claim that there is no place for morality in international
relations, or that there is a tension between demands of
morality and requirements of successful political action,
or that states have their own morality that is different
from customary morality, or that morality, if any, is
merely used instrumentally to justify states' conduct
Criticisms of Realism
 . Firstly, it is said that realism mainly prescribes policies
and aims that lead to war rather than peace. Realists
believe that war is inevitable and will take place at all
costs. They do not frame policies which can avoid war,
because their motives can be to gain from the war
politically, economically and socially
 Secondly critics also point out that states are not
necessarily always in conflict with each other, but share
common interests and common rules. They also ignore
the role of the non state actors such as the NGO’s which
are also extremely important actors in a state. The
liberalists point out that human nature is not necessarily
evil and wicked but is generally peaceful and that there
is scope for peace and development.
Criticisms of Realism
 The liberalists point out that human nature
is not necessarily evil and wicked but is
generally peaceful and that there is scope
for peace and development.
 Commercial liberalism promotes the idea of
free trade and comparative advantage.
They say that in the fast moving world of
globalization nations are extremely
dependent on each other and have to
engage in trade. Free trade would mean
that the nations would be dependent on
each other and so war will be avoided.
Conclusion
 Thus in my opinion also the realist theory of
international relations shows very one
dimensional approach. Many criticisms of
this theory have been presented by other
theorists as well. But I also think that there
is some truth in this theory because if we
see the world today it s categorized by
conflict and chaos between different nations
and violence and terror is becoming the
order of the day. The other theories that
present a critical evaluation of realism also
have their limitations.