Twentieth-century classical realism has today been largely replaced by Machiavelli and Hobbes are the names most usually mentioned. Realism encompasses a variety of approaches and claims a long Supreme value to successful political action based on prudence: theĪbility to judge the rightness of a given action from among possibleĪlternatives on the basis of its likely political consequences. That does not take into account political realities. Rather, they are critical of moralism-abstract moral discourse Not reject the possibility of moral judgment in international politics. Involve the glorification of war or conflict. Justified by reason of state” (Bull 1995, 189). Interest, it is not the Machiavellian doctrine “that anything is While classical realism emphasizes the concept of national The distinction should be drawn betweenĬlassical realism-represented by such twentieth-century theoristsĪs Reinhold Niebuhr and Hans Morgenthau-and radical or extreme Not all realists, however, deny the presence of ethics in Justice, characterized by active or potential conflict among International politics, they sometimes claim, is a sphere without National politics is the realm of authority and law, whereas Skepticism regarding the relevance of ethical norms to relations among The realists’ emphasis on power and self-interest is often their Own national interests, and struggle for power. Which are concerned with their own security, act in pursuit of their RealistsĬonsider the principal actors in the international arena to be states, Idealism or liberalism, which tends to emphasize cooperation. Political realism, is a view of international politics that stresses General theories or theoretical perspectives. In the discipline of international relations there are contending