POLSCI 2MN3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Human Nature, Photomontage
1 Feb 2020
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Key thinkers of realism: thucydides, machiavelli, thomas hobbes. Scientific approach or ir: neorealism, away from focus of individual. To focus on state: the interest of humans and the state is to survive, anarchy is a key factor explaining the behavior of states. They can only rely on themselves (logic of self-help: contrasts logic of self-help to internal politics of states where there is a government (hierarchy prevails within states) Main ideas of realism: human nature as flawed, selfish, characteristics of human nature can be ascribed to states as actors. States are the main actors in the international system overriding goal of states in an international system" survival: war is thus likely. Sovereign nation states are the main actors in ir: anarchy = war, no world government (no one to keep peace between states) In state of nature, human beings become selfish or evil.
