POLS 1160 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Stemming, Moral Universalism
6 Apr 2016
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Realism as a theory of international relations: etymology: german word stemming from real politik" meaning realistic politics, realism looks at how things really are in the world, not how they should be. Thucydides: greek historian who tried to ind secular reasons for war. Determined that war was due to a struggle over power: the strong do what they will and the weak grand what they must . Machiavelli: italian philosopher, he believed that the survival of the state required ordinarily immoral actions. Meaning that sometimes a state has to do immoral things in order to survive: wrote that national leaders have diferent moral codes than individuals because of the necessary actions to ensure the survival of a state. Referred to this as amorality rather than immorality. I. e. leaders have to separate themselves from moral dilemmas. Thomas hobbes: british political philosopher, believed that the state of nature is the condition of people before a government.
