PS 230 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Human Nature, Hedonism, The Abyssinians

• School: University of Kentucky
• Department: Political Science
• Course: PS 230
• Professor: Daniel Morey

Document Summary

It"s what allows you to look at a situation and determine which variables are important. Idealists/utopians: emphasized how ir should be, disliked the balance of power, against secret treaties and armaments, environment shapes conduct. International organizations are key: bold statement- humans are naturally peaceful. We all are working towards harmony: wants national self-determination, measures actions against international law, example- kant, woodrow wilson, etc. Realists: bold statement- human nature is aggressive. We are naturally imperfect and will always be flawed: expect the evil and try to arrange the world in a way to minimize the damage, states are principle actors. International organizations have no power, so they"re irrelevant. Weak countries have just a little power so they"re a bit irrelevant too. Morality considerations are irrelevant: anarchy is violent and hedonist, states are sovereign but not equal. There"s a hierarchy of power: unitary actor is the term describing the belief that states speak with only one voice.