LG514: International Relations Theory in the New World Order Lecture 2: Classical Theories of IR: Thucydides, Machiavelli and Hobbes Dr Ken McDonagh School of Law and Government

Overview: Traditions in IR Thucydides Machiavelli Hobbes The use and abuse of classical thinkers Discussion

Traditions in IR Realism – “probably the most distinguished school of thought in the history of international relations” (Hoffman, 1988, 6) Schmidt (1998): Tradition: “the action of transmitting or ‘handing down’…of statements, beliefs, rules, customs or the like” Oxford English Dictionary – Historical – Analytic “an intellectual construction…a retrospectively created construct determined by present criteria and concerns” P25

Thucydides: Background Lifetime: BC Peloponnesian wars BC Amphipolis 424 – exile In many cases the only extant record of the period is Thucydides “my work is not a piece of writing to meet the needs of an immediate public, but was done to last forever” (as quoted by Finley, 1972 p10)

Thucydides the realist “What made war inevitable was the growth of Athenian power and the fear which this caused in Sparta.” P49 The Mytilenian debate: – Cleon “Punish them as they deserve, and make an example of them to your allies, plainly showing that revolt will be punished by death” P217

Thucydides the Realist The Mytilenian debate (cont’d): – Diodotus: “if you destroy the democratic party at Mytilene, who never took any hand in the revolt…you will first of all be guilty of killing those who helped you, and secondly you will be doing exactly what the reactionary classes want most…It is far more useful to us, that we should voluntarily put up with injustice than that we should justly put to death the wrong people” p222 – The motion to spare the Mytilenians was passed

Thucydides the Realist: The Melian Dialogue Melos had remained neutral until the Athenians “had brought force to bear on them” p400 Athenians “the strong do what they have the power to do and the weak accept what they have to accept” p402 Athenians “You, by giving in, would save yourselves from disaster; we, by not destroying you, would be able to profit from you” ibid Athenians “If we were on friendly terms with you, our subjects would regard that as a sign of weakness in us, whereas your hatred is evidence of our power”

The relevance of Thucydides “one of the supreme books on power politics” Wight, 1978 p24 “Everything that the new realists find intriguing in the interaction of international economics and international politics can be found in the History of the Peloponnesian War” Gilpin, 1984 p292 “[Thucydides] accounts for the striking sameness of the quality of international life throughout the millennia” Waltz, 1979 p66

Machiavelli - Background Lived Served as a second chancellor to the Florentine Republic from – the Medici’s return to power in Florence and Machiavelli is excluded from public life Moves to his farm in San Casciano Writes The Prince, The Discourses, The Art of War

The relevance of Machiavelli “It was for each state or ruler to pursue its own interest: the question of morality in international politics, at least in the sense of moral rules which restrained states in their relations with one another, did not arise” Bull, 1976, p105 “This is because, …some of the things that appear to be virtues will…ruin him, and some of the things that appear to be vices will bring him security and prosperity” The Prince, p50 “So it follows that a prudent ruler cannot…honour his word when it places him at a disadvantage and when the reasons for which he made his promise no longer exist” Ibid P56

Hobbes - Background Lived Translated Thucydides, published in – Fled to Paris for 11 years 1651 – published Leviathan (came close to condemnation by parliament) Chiefly concerned with Civil war and political order at the domestic level

The relevance of Hobbes The State of nature : “solitary, poor, nasty brutish and short” “war of all against all” in the absence of a common power to overawe them The solution then is an overarching authority – the state “Because any state may at any time use force, all states must constantly be ready either to counter force with force or to pay the costs of weakness” Waltz, 1959 P160

The Relevance of Hobbes Why the international anarchy is more tolerable than anarchy among individuals: The strength of states v strength of men The inequality of states – Concerts of power The possibility of common interests or at least restraint Hobbes did not advocate an international Leviathan

The use and abuse of classical thinkers “We should stop trying to bend him [Thucydides] to our will by making him speak to debates about which he would understand little and care even less. We should stop treating him as a mirror for our own assumptions, convictions and biases” Welch 2003, P302 Equally relevant to Hobbes and Machiavelli Each are complex and subtle thinkers that can be interpreted in many different ways