Legal Framework for International Business

Understanding International Society: Basic Theoretical Perspectives

I. Theory

Realism is an approach to International Relations (IR) that emphasizes state power, national security, and the threat of use of force as the most important elements for understanding world politics. Realists often trace their origins back to classical theorists such as Thucydides (460 B.C-395 B.C.), Machiavelli (1469-1527), and Hobbes (1568-1679) who all emphasized how power and self-interest shape politics.

Realists are arguably the most cynical of IR scholars with respect to the value of studying International Law (IL). Many realists would argue that most of international law is epiphenomenal to state power, in other words that the contours of international law and its effectiveness are a product of the interests of powerful states or the balance of power amongst states, but that international law does not exert an independent effect on states: powerful states will follow international law when it is in their national interest and will ignore it when it is not; weak states will comply with international law when they are compelled to by powerful states. This view of international law reflects the famous dictum proposed by Thucydides, ‘The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.’
Realists have traditionally argued that they seek to understand world politics as it is, rather than as it should be. They have contrasted themselves with ‘Idealists’ who seek to build a better world through institutions and rule of law. International law is then viewed by some realists as a type of ‘Idealism’ and is critiqued for its naïve view of power. Yet, this division is too simplistic. Most approaches to international law are very sensitive to state power relations and many realists recognize the need for international law. Early realist IR scholars, such as E.H. Carr (1939), argued that one needs a good dose of both ‘realism’ and ‘utopianism’ to properly understand international politics.