Realist Security Anarchic nature of the international system

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Realist Security • Anarchic nature of the international system. • Search for power •

Realist Security • Anarchic nature of the international system. • Search for power • More power, more security • Self-help • Pessimistic about security: The order produce wars rather than peace.

Five Variants of Realism • Classical realism/ Political realism • Neorealism • Defensive structural

Five Variants of Realism • Classical realism/ Political realism • Neorealism • Defensive structural realism • Offensive structural realis • Neoclassical realism

Classical Realism • Edward Hewlett Carr’s ‘Twenty Years Crises’ • Martin Wight, Hans Morgenthau,

Classical Realism • Edward Hewlett Carr’s ‘Twenty Years Crises’ • Martin Wight, Hans Morgenthau, George F. Kennan. • A response to then dominant approach of liberal approach to international politics. • Flawed nature of humanity, • Quest for power, main attitude

• absence of a supra-authority in the international field, as opposed to domestic

• absence of a supra-authority in the international field, as opposed to domestic field. • wars and conflicts are the results of the aggressive statesmen. • rational decision making, strategic calculations • States are rational actors: Cost benefit analysis

Neorealism/Structural Realism • Kenneth Waltz, Theory of International Politics, 1979. • Structure of the

Neorealism/Structural Realism • Kenneth Waltz, Theory of International Politics, 1979. • Structure of the system is the major factor, limiting states’ behaviors. • Rather than the ambitions or quest for power, the structure of the international system determines the security policies of the states.

What is the international system as a structure • Three main elements of a

What is the international system as a structure • Three main elements of a given international structure: • An ordering principle: Anarchy or hierarchy • The character of the units within the system: They are like units, states. • Distribution of capabilities: Distribution of power among major powers determines the nature of the system.

Difference between classical realism and neorealism • In contrast to classical realism, neorealism ignores

Difference between classical realism and neorealism • In contrast to classical realism, neorealism ignores the internal characteristics of the states as the major determinants causing war or conflicts. • Rather, the effects of the structure is the fundamental determinant.

Difference between classical realism and neorealism • In contrast to classical realism, neorealism ignores

Difference between classical realism and neorealism • In contrast to classical realism, neorealism ignores the internal characteristics of the states as the major determinants causing war or conflicts. • Rather, the effects of the structure is the fundamental determinant.

Realism • Either focuses on the consequences of the state’s quest for power •

Realism • Either focuses on the consequences of the state’s quest for power • or, focuses on the limitations or possibilities of a given distribution of powers as the characteristic of the international system

Why realism was questioned after the end of Cold War • Soviet Union’s voluntary

Why realism was questioned after the end of Cold War • Soviet Union’s voluntary dissolution of the Eastern Block • The continuation of Western European alliance in the absence of a countering power block • the wave of liberalization and democratization throughout the former Soviet Union • The increasing improbability of war

Has the time of realist perspective ended? • What about 9/11? • Political realism

Has the time of realist perspective ended? • What about 9/11? • Political realism better suits to address threats to national security. • Is it so?