REALISM

Made by: Szutor Brigitta

WHAT IS REALISM?
Realism

is the oldest and most venerable school of thoughts in the study of international politics. or political realism prioritizes national interest and security over ideology, moral concerns and social reconstructions.

Realism

HISTORY
The

beginning of World War 2 shattered the idealistic interpretation of international relations and for a long time realism became the dominant paradigm. regarded the state as the main actor in international system. Which he saw anarchic and which is structured on the vertical division of the countries.

Realism

 International

politics is a zero-sum game for power, influence and resources (so what one wins, the other loses). starting point of realism: International politics, like all the politics struggles for power, whatever the aim of international politics is, the ultimate target is the power. originates states behavior in human characteristics.

The

Realism

 According

to a representative of realism, H. Morgenthau, international politics can only be understood if we have reality as the startingpoint.

Due

to the anarchic nature of international system, states assure their own security by self help, which has as a classical manifestation: WAR.
the aim of absolute security, war will become a natural phenomenon in the international system.

With

 The

realism is aware of the moral significance of political action, but there is a tension between a successful political action and the moral commands.

Machiavelli

said that a statesman must learn a morality, which is not a traditional Christian morality.

HANS MORGENTHAU
Hans

Joachim Morgenthau (February 17, 1904 July 19, 1980) was one of the leading twentieth-century figures in the study of international politics.
is considered one of the "founding fathers" of the realist school in the 20th century.

He

 His

realism was infused with moral considerations, and during the last part of his life he favored supranational control of nuclear weapons and strongly opposed the U.S. role in the Vietnam War.
book Scientific Man versus Power Politics (1946) argued against an overreliance on science and technology as solutions to political and social problems.

His

THE PRINCIPLES ARE:

1.

Political realism believes that politics, like society in general, is governed by objective laws that have their roots in human nature.

2.

The main signpost that helps political realism to find its way through the landscape of international politics is the concept of interest defined in terms of power.

 3.

Realism does not give 'interest defined as power' a meaning that is fixed once and for all, but recognizes that the determining kind of interest varies depending on the political and cultural context in which foreign policy is made.
Political realism is aware of the moral significance of political action. It is also aware of the ineluctable tension between the moral command and the requirements of successful political action.

4.

5. Political realism refuses to identify the moral aspirations of a particular nation with the moral laws that govern the universe. 6. The political realist maintains the autonomy of the political sphere; he asks "How does this policy affect the power of the nation?" Political realism is based on a pluralistic conception of human nature. A man who was nothing but "political man" would be a beast, for he would be completely lacking in moral restraints. But, in order to develop an autonomous theory of political behavior, "political man" must be abstracted from other aspects of human nature.*

THE END

BIBLIOGRAPHY

www.jegyzet.hu/notes.aspx?download=1&id=1442 http://theviewspaper.net/realism-an-approach-to-international-relations/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Morgenthau http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/morg6.htm http://www.towson.edu/polsci/ppp/sp97/realism/HANS.HTM http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-15955163/hans-morgenthau-realismand.html http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2267/is_n4_v61/ai_15955163/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Realism_in_international_relations_theory http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:EVzlaBRslr8J:zskf.freebl og.hu/Files/A%2520nemzetk%C3%B6zi%2520kapcsolatok%2520fogalma.doc+ realizmus+nemzetkozi+kapcsolatok&cd=6&hl=hu&ct=clnk&gl=hu