1. Variants: Neorealism, Structural Realism, Mercantilism (in IPE)

2. Thomas Hobbes 1588-1679 English Civil War Fear People are rational
Need gov’t
The Leviathan
“…and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short”

3. State of Nature
Social contract
create government

4. The International System

5. Hans Morganthau 1904-1980 World Wars Politics Among Nations
Lays out realist tenets

6. Realism Basic tenets States=primary actors
National self-interest drives relations
Power struggles
No binding IL
Zero-sum relations
View of IR: Self-interested states competing for power

7. Hobbes says “Where there is no common power, there is no law; where no law, no injustice… [thus] they are in that condition which is called war.”
States battle for power
Relations are zero-sum
No binding IL
National interest drives relations

8. Variants: Neoliberalism, Idealism, Neoinstitutionalism

9. Jean Jacques Rousseau 1712-1778
Enlightenment
Social beings
Need gov’t
The Social Contract

10. Woodrow Wilson 1856-1924 World War I 14 Point Plan
Ideas picked up in 1970s

11. Liberalism Basic tenets Multiple actors matter
Relations based on more than just power struggles
Relations can be positive sum
Cooperation benefits the greatest number of people
View of IR: Various actors work towards cooperation for mutual benefit

12. “But the social order is a sacred right which is the basis of all other rights. Nevertheless, this right does not come from nature, and must therefore be founded on conventions.”
Actors need to cooperate to progress
Relations are zero-sum without cooperation
Greater good for greater number of people

13. Variants: Neomarxism, Dependency theory, World systems theory

14. Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels
Macro-level theory
Economic class struggle
The Communist Manifesto
“The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.”
Industrial Revolution
Only 2 classes emerge: Rich and Poor
Are you rich or poor?

15. V.I. Lenin 1870-1924 Soviet communist system Export capital
Overthrow tsar
Institute Communist Party = ‘Vanguard of the People’
Export capital

16. Marxism Basic tenets System based Economic class struggle
Capitalism is primary mode of production
Zero-sum relations
Wealthy use states, IOs to oppress poor
View of IR: System structured to perpetuate battle between rich and poor

17. “Each step in the development of the bourgeoisie was accompanied by a corresponding political advance in that class…The executive of the modern state is but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie .”
Economics drive political policies
Rich seek to protect wealth
Capitalism determines production
Wealthy use states and IOs to oppress poor