Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Tables, figures and boxes
- Contributors
- Preface and acknowledgements
- Guide to online instructor resources
- Introduction: The origins and changing agendas of international relations
- Part 1 Theories of International Relations
- Chapter 1 International Relations theory in an age of critical diversity
- Chapter 2 Liberalism
- Chapter 3 Realism
- Chapter 4 Marxism and critical theory
- Chapter 5 Feminism
- Chapter 6 Postmodernism
- Chapter 7 Constructivism
- Chapter 8 Postcolonialism
- Part 2 International history
- Part 3 The traditional agenda: States, wars and law
- Part 4 The new agenda: Globalisation and global challenges
- References
- Index
- Figure and text acknowledgements
Chapter 3 - Realism
from Part 1 - Theories of International Relations
Published online by Cambridge University Press: aN Invalid Date NaN
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Tables, figures and boxes
- Contributors
- Preface and acknowledgements
- Guide to online instructor resources
- Introduction: The origins and changing agendas of international relations
- Part 1 Theories of International Relations
- Chapter 1 International Relations theory in an age of critical diversity
- Chapter 2 Liberalism
- Chapter 3 Realism
- Chapter 4 Marxism and critical theory
- Chapter 5 Feminism
- Chapter 6 Postmodernism
- Chapter 7 Constructivism
- Chapter 8 Postcolonialism
- Part 2 International history
- Part 3 The traditional agenda: States, wars and law
- Part 4 The new agenda: Globalisation and global challenges
- References
- Index
- Figure and text acknowledgements
Summary
This chapter reflects on the tradition of Western political thought known as realism. Its main purpose is to identify who realists are, and to explain what realism is in the study of international relations. The first part of the chapter introduces students to some important thinkers, both ancient and modern, ascribed to the realist tradition. It also identifies two broad strands of realist thought: ‘classical’ and ‘structural’ or ‘neorealist’. The second part investigates attempts to conceive realism as a unified theory and practice of international relations. It highlights realism’s central concepts of the state and anarchy before reflecting on realism’s normative dimension.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- An Introduction to International Relations , pp. 46 - 57Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024