Realism

Key assumptions

• Humans are naturally selfish and competitive

• The international system is anarchic, there is no higher authority than the state, so international relations are shaped by self-interest to ensure their survival 

Classical Realism

• Human nature is egoistic and power-seeking

• States act in their own self-interest, leading to competition and conflict

Structural Realism

• Mearsheimer 

• States can never be certain of other states’ intentions 

• states seek survival as their primary goal 

Offensive realism (Mearsheimer)

• states should maximise power to ensure security 

• Global and regional hegemony are seen as strategic goals

Defensive realism

• balancing power to maintain security

Mearsheimer’s example of Realism Russia/Ukraine

• Conflict is rooted in the aim of the US and its European allies to incorporate Ukraine into the West, making it a western bulwark on Russia’s border

How Meisheimers argument connects to realism:

• Sees NATO expansion as an attempt to maximise the states’ power, linking to offensive realism

• Russia, being a powerful state tries to protect their global influence and sees the expansion as a threat, pushing them to respond with hard power in order to protect their national interests  (great power struggle)

Connection to Security Dilema

• NATO expansion is a strategy to improve security

• Russia perceives this as a threat to its security

• Russia takes steps to increase its security and maintain their influence by annexing Crimea and then invading Ukraine

South China Sea example

• China has built artificial islands, deployed military infrastructure and asserted territorial claims over most of the South China sea, ignoring international law and overlapping claims from Vietnam and Philippines 

South China Sea analysis

• in an anarchic international system, China cannot rely on other states or international institutions ot guarantee its security

• By militarising the South China Sea, China is asserting control over trade routes

• This maximises China’s regional hegemony, increasing its security and influence, especially as the US maintains strong military presence in Asia