Realism Kenneth Waltz Kaisa Ellandi Lecture 2

Realism.. States are: Main problem is: anarchy - no world government 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

Realism … conflicts are inevitable States must be strong and face aggression

Key points Sovereign states are key actors in IR State are motivated by a drive for power and pursuit of the „national interest“ Main problem – anarchy Conflicts 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 points Power 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 power State has Central characteristics: sovereignty defined territory, government, sovereign authority, recognition, exercises power over it’s people Central characteristics: sovereignty Internal and external sovereignty

State and power Power is the ability to change behavior and dominate over others Military capability as an essence of power Military capability depends on: Population Abundance of natural resources Geographical factors Type of government

Balance of power To 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 Kenneth Waltz „Man, the State and War“ (1959) Human nature is the root cause of war National 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 Security Peace is a condition characterized by an absence of war Relationship between state and peace is not straightforward Security 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 order Main 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 community People identify with the nation state Main community is the nation-state community State must be concentrated on the well- being of its citizens