Realism and International Relations (Themes in International Relations)

241 Pages·2000·0.94 MB·English

by  Jack Donnelly

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Realism and International Relations provides a critical yet sympathetic
survey of political realism in international theory. Using six paradig-
matic theories – Hans Morgenthau, Kenneth Waltz, the Prisoners’
Dilemma,Thucydides,Machiavelli,andHobbes –the bookexamines
realist accounts of human nature and state motivation, international
anarchy,systemstructureandthebalanceofpower,internationalinsti-
tutions,and morality in foreign policy.Donnelly argues that common
realistpropositionsnotonlyfailtostanduptoscrutinybutarerejected
bymanyleadingrealistsaswell.Ratherthanageneraltheoryofinterna-
tional relations, realism is best seen as a philosophical orientation or
researchprogramthatemphasizes–inaninsightfulyetone-sidedway–
theconstraintsimposedbyindividualandnationalegoismandinterna-
tionalanarchy.Containingchapter-by-chapterguidestofurtherreading
anddiscussionquestionsforstudents,thisbookoffersanaccessibleand
livelysurveyofthedominanttheoryinInternationalRelations.
  is Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Graduate
School of International Studies at the University of Denver.He is the
author of The Concept of Human Rights, Universal Human Rights in
TheoryandPractice,andInternationalHumanRights.
   
This new series of textbooks aims to provide students with
authoritativesurveysofcentraltopicsinthestudyofInternational
Relations.Intendedforupperlevelundergraduatesandgraduates,
the books will be concise, accessible and comprehensive. Each
volumewillexaminethemaintheoreticalandempiricalaspectsof
the subject concerned, and its relation to wider debates in
International Relations,and will also include chapter-by-chapter
guidestofurtherreadinganddiscussionquestions.
Realism and International
Relations
JackDonnelly
         
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, United Kingdom
  
The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK
40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA
477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia
Ruiz de Alarcón 13, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Dock House, The Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, South Africa
http://www.cambridge.org
©Jack Donnelly 2004
First published in printed format 2000
ISBN 0-511-03909-3 eBook (Adobe Reader)
ISBN 0-521-59229-1 hardback
ISBN 0-521-59752-8 paperback
Contents
Acknowledgments pagevii
Introduction 1
1 Therealisttradition 6
2 Humannatureandstatemotivation 43
3 Anarchy,hierarchy,andorder 81
4 System,structure,andbalanceofpower 107
5 Institutionsandinternationalsociety 131
6 Moralityandforeignpolicy 161
Conclusion:Thenatureandcontributionofrealism 193
Selectedrecommendedreadings 203
References 205
Index 228
v

Acknowledgments
Ibeganworkingonthisbookadecadeago,inthespringof1989,atthe
NetherlandsInstituteofAdvancedStudy.Mylonglistofdebtsthusmust
begin with Peter Baehr, who invited me to participate in his research
group,andDirkvandeKaa,whoasDirectormadetheNIASanincredi-
bly supportive place for scholarly research. Had I been able to remain
longer within the comfortable confines of Wassenaar I am sure that the
gap between the start and finish of this project would have been much
smaller.
Overtheyears,variousincarnationsofthisworkhavebeencommented
on, orally or in writing, by numerous friends and colleagues. Michael
Doyle, Peter Euben, Daniel Garst, Alan Gilbert, Arthur Gilbert, Peter
Haas, Barry Hughes, Micheline Ishay, Bob Jackson, Bob Keohane,
Harold Koh, Steve Krasner, Steve Leonard, Andrew Linklater, David
Lumsdaine,TerryNardin,CliffordOrwin,JoelRosenthal,EduardoSaxe,
MichaelSmith,TerrySullivan,AlexWendt,andJimWhitearethenames
thatappearinmyrecords.Ithankyouall.TothosewhomIhaveforgotten
torecord,mygratitudeiscompoundedbyguiltovermyneglect.
I also thank Bassem Hassan and Jacek Lubecki for their fine work as
research assistants.Bassem also did much of the work of checking cita-
tions.AndIowespecialdebtstofouradditionalpeople.
Rhoda Howard’s careful and skeptical eye, as usual, forced me to
greaterprecision.Beyondtheparticularcontributionsofherline-by-line
criticisms, her position as a reader outside the debates of international
relations theory constantly reminded me to write for the broader audi-
encethisbookisintendedtoreach.
Cathy Donnelly read the entire manuscript with unusual care. More
oftenthanImightcaretoadmit,shedrewattentiontobadwritinghabits
andstylisticinfelicities,aswellastheoccasionalpassagethatcouldonly
be described as hopelessly obscure. She also regularly and forcefully
remindedmethatthereismoretolifethanwork.
Tim McKeown believed in this project early on and provided much
appreciated encouragement as a series of early versions of what have
vii
viii Acknowledgments
becomechapters2and6wererejectedbyallthebestjournalsinthefield.
More immediately, his detailed comments on the next to last draft of
chapter2helpedmetonaildownargumentsthatwerenotyetsufficiently
clearandtoavoidsomesignificantlyexaggeratedclaimsofmyown.
GlennSnyder’sthoughtfulobservationsontheepistemologicalimpli-
cations of my line of argument,as well as numerous helpful suggestions
for clarifying particular points, greatly improved the final draft. I espe-
ciallyappreciatehishelpbecauseIknowthathedisagreeswiththesub-
stanceofanumberofmyprincipalarguments.
Finally,Imustthankmorethanadecade’sworthofgraduatestudents
inChapelHillandDenver.IfIhavesucceededincommunicatingclearly,
itisinsignificantmeasurearesultoftheirquestionsandpuzzlement.By
refusingtoaccepteasyanswersabouteitherthestrengthsorweaknesses
ofrealism,theyhaveforcedmetoconfrontthismaterialwithadepthand
precisionthatwouldhavebeenimpossibletoachieveonmyown.