PSC 1003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Robert Gilpin, Arms Control, Human Nature
Document Summary
Week 2, lecture 3, intro to international politics. Realism is widely accepted as the dominant theory of international politics. The defining feature: envisions states as essentially unitary actors- not accurate assumptions because states have leaders and institutions. Extremely influential since the 1970s, makes the intra-structural -realist debate important. U(cid:374)de(cid:396)sta(cid:374)ds i(cid:374)te(cid:396)(cid:374)atio(cid:374)al politi(cid:272)s to (cid:271)e still (cid:373)o(cid:396)e (cid:272)o(cid:373)petiti(cid:448)e tha(cid:374) does waltz"s neorealism: defensive realism finds that international structure does not create a general tendency towards competition. Neo-classical realism= motivational realism + unit level misperception of complexity, limits on states extraction capability, etc. International anarchy puts states into a condition of self-help- without an international authority capable of protecting them, major powers must look out for themselves. Self-help is usually understood that states will pursue unilateral competitive polices to protect their own interests. The key to security is for the state to possess the ability to protect itself from attack. States value power- territory, population, economic resources, and military capabilities.
