POLS 2940 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Kenneth Waltz, Human Nature, Power Politics
18 Oct 2017
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Document Summary
Realism: the subject of realism is the state. The quest of all states is security. International state, is built by men who are greedy, selfish, Hobbes described as brutish, short and nasty. The war is the dominant gene in realfism. This does not mean states are always in war, but that to say the way systems operate is anarchic. International anarchy: anarchy derives from greek, meaning "without authority" There is no governing power over states. States exist in an international environment where there are no centrally enforceable rules of laws. Realist believes that states where cooperate, but only if there is a gain. We take for granted that war is inevitable, etc. Kenneth waltz, the grandfather of structural realism. Wrote a book, "man, the state, war" Classical realists on man: believe the nature of man is inherently violent, and that cannot change, they also believe most people are weak, mentally and emotionally weak.
