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"THE MOST DURABLE political theories about war and peace are undoubtedly those of the so-called 'Realists.' . . . The Realists founding texts are
- Thucydides’ history of the Peloponnesian War,
- Machiavelli’s Prince and
- Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan."
"The best characterization of each would be the simple message that the world is wicked, and nations had better grab whatever they can, when they can, the niceties of morality be damned. The lessons of these works were codified and enlarged in what many political scientists would concur are the three most influential works of international relations theory of the 20th century. These are
- E.H. Carr’s “The Twenty Years’ Crisis 1919-1939,” (1939);
- Hans Morgenthau’s “Politics Among Nations” (1948) and
- Kenneth Waltz’s “Theory of International Politics” (1979)."
"[They] tak[e] the world as it is rather than as most of us would wish it to be. Reformers, democrats, idealists are considered to be dangerous fools, whose naïve plans to better mankind inevitably make things worse. Life is nasty, brutish and short, goes the Realist critique. Deal with it."
THE LIBERAL VIEW
"Historically, the primary challenge to Realism in Anglo- American political science has been Liberalism. Liberals have argued that the kinds of unpleasant power calculations that Realists insist upon are not necessary because life need not be as nasty and brutish as it may appear. . . . The interdependence argument has also remained powerful as some political scientists have sought to combine it with elements of Realism, and the need for a single, all-powerful 'hegemon' like the United States in today’s world, to use its power to maintain peace and build prosperity - and democracy - for all."
THE NEW WAR
"A Liberal political theorist would argue that crushing bin Laden is the least of our problems. What is necessary to genuinely protect ourselves from such threats is to remove the sources of discontent that help breed a bin Laden in the first place. To be truly safe and prosperous, Americans must embark on a global crusade to uplift the poor, the hungry, the ignorant, and anyone who suffers under the yoke of oppression and might one day seek revenge on us for what they deem to be our responsibility for their misery."
HISTORY’S EXAMPLE
"In the last decade of the 20th century, some theorists have sought to break out of these categories by reinterpreting the movement of history in new ways. The most prominent of these are Francis Fukuyama’s “End of History” and Samuel Huntington’s “Clash of Civilization” arguments. The former seeks to argue that democratic capitalism has already vanquished its significant adversaries. . . . Huntington’s theory would appear to point in the opposite direction. We are being challenged not by a historically anomalous bandit, but by an entire civilization."
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