POSC 3250 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Caveman, Global Politics, Human Nature
29 Mar 2016
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Focused more narrowly in understanding why states pursue speciic things in internaional relaions. View mulinaional corporaions as extensions of a state"s power. Raional: states pursue predictable strategies based on calculaions of self interest (survival/power/sovereignty). Global poliics is a self help system- states must look ater themselves. Wise states seek to maximize their power at the expense of others . Ulimately, state pursuit of power is the most important aspect of internaional power. Skepicism about cooperaion: states only cooperate when they gain more than others. Realism is parsimonious has few variables and leads to clear predicions. Human nature is bad- hard to trust others. The wise state is the one whom is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve the interest of your state (ruthless) Hobbes" state of nature : makes a virtue of pursuit of power, nature: men acing as cavemen, violence, life without governance: nasty, bruish and short .
