Realism

Realism (Figure 10) has often been presented as a dominant theory in IR, emphasising power and competition. Realism has historically been, and to some extent still is, the dominant theoretical approach to IR. Its core claims and concepts are statism, self-help, and security.

According to

• statism, states are the central actors in IR, with non-state actors (e.g. non-governmental organisations, terrorist networks) exercising limited influence
• self-help, states must rely on their own resources for survival due to the anarchic nature (not to ‘chaos’ or ‘disorder’ as in common use of the term) of the international system, which lacks a global authority to enforce rules
• security, for realists, states’ over-riding concern is their security, meaning that states prioritise survival by maintaining or increasing power, often relying on military strength. Power, for realists, ultimately rests on the military capabilities of states. These pillars lead to a competitive international arena where meaningful or sustainable cooperation is unlikely, as states prioritise power and security.

Realism traces its own history back a long way and claim a number of political thinkers such as Thucydides (fifth century BC), Niccolò Machiavelli (fifteenth–sixteenth century), and Thomas Hobbes (seventeenth century), and modern thinkers such as Hans Morgenthau (1904–1980) and Kenneth Waltz (1924–2013).