POLSCI 2I03 Study Guide - Final Guide: Stephen D. Krasner, Kenneth Waltz, Offensive Realism

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Political Science
• Course: POLSCI 2I03
• Professor: Mark Busser

Document Summary

Emerged as a response to the perceived failings of interwar idealism" and advocated an approach that emphasizes the omnipresent danger of community breakdown. Conflict is inevitable because of egoism (human nature) Strong do what they can and weak suffer. Individual people can be moral but leader"s cant be moral. Drawing a distinction between idealism and criticizing the giving up attitude. Politics is governed by objective laws that have their roots in human nature. Defensive realism: those who argue that states are security maximizers. Offensive realism: those who argue that states are power maximizers. Subjects realism, realist theories serve the interests of those who prosper, to reinforce the status quo, favours critical theory which challenges prevailing order by looking for change. Argues that international politics can be explained at the structural or system level of analysis. The behaviour of states is determined by the self-help logic of the system. All countries will do the same thing in the same circumstances.