Neo-RealismWeek #6, April 4th 2019

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• Muhammad Qobidl ‘Ainul Arif

• 081 228 25 8889

• m.qobid@uinsby.ac.id

• www.qobid.wordpress.com

About Neo-RealismNeorealism or structural realism is a theory of international relations that says power is the most important factor in international relations. It was first outlined by Kenneth Waltz in his 1979 book Theory of International Politics.

Alongside neoliberalism, neorealism is one of the two most influential contemporary approaches to international relations; the two perspectives have dominated international relations theory for the last three decades.

Neorealism emerged from the North American discipline of political science, and reformulates the classical realist tradition of E. H. Carr, Hans Morgenthau, and Reinhold Niebuhr.

Branches of Neo-realismNeorealism is subdivided into two branches:

• Defensive neo-realism

• Offensive neo-realism

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Neorealism is an ideological departure from Hans Morgenthau's writing on classical realism. Classical realism originally explained the machinations of international politics as being based on human nature, and therefore subject to the ego and emotion of world leaders. Neorealist thinkers instead propose that structural constraints—not strategy, egoism, or motivation—will determine behavior in international relations. John Mearsheimer made significant distinctions between his version of offensive neorealism and Morgenthau in his book titled The Tragedy of Great Power Politics.

Five Base AssumptionNeorealism therefore works from realism's five base theoretical assumptions as outlined by offensive neo-realist scholar John J. Mearsheimer in “The False Promise of International Institutions.” These assumptions are:

1. The international system is anarchic.

2. States inherently possess some offensive military capability, which gives them the ability to hurt and possibly destroy each other.

3. States can never be certain about the intentions of other states.

4. The basic motive driving states is survival.

5. States think strategically about how to survive in the international system.

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Defensive Neo-realismDefensive neorealism is a structural theory derived from the school of neorealism in international relations theory. It finds its foundation in Kenneth Waltz's Theory of International Politics, in which Waltz argues that the anarchical structure of the international system encourages states to maintain moderate and reserved policies to attain security.

As Kenneth Waltz asserted in his seminal defensive neorealist text Theory of International Politics, defensive realists argue that the anarchic nature of the international system encourages states to undertake defensive and moderate policies. They argue that states are not intrinsically aggressive and that "the first concern of states is not to maximize power but to maintain their position in the system".

While defensive realism does not deny the reality of interstate conflict, nor that incentives for state expansion do exist, it contends that these incentives are sporadic rather than endemic. Defensive neorealism points towards “structural modifiers” such as the security dilemma and geography, and elite beliefs and perceptions to explain the outbreak of conflict. 4

Offensive Neo-realismOffensive realism is a structural theory belonging to the neorealist school of thought first postulated by John Mearsheimer that holds that the anarchic nature of the international system is responsible for aggressive state behavior in international politics.

Like defensive neorealism, offensive realism posits an anarchic international system in which rational great powers uncertain of other states' intentions and capable of military offensive strive to survive. Although initially developed from similar propositions to those of defensive neorealism, Mearsheimer's offensive neorealism advances drastically different predictions regarding great power behaviour in international politics. Mainly, it diverges from defensive neorealism in regards to the accumulation of power a state needs to possess to ensure its security and the issuing of strategy states pursue to meet this satisfactory level of security. Ultimately, Mearsheimer's offensive neorealism draws a much more pessimistic picture of international politics characterised by dangerous inter-state security competition likely leading to conflict and war.

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Thank you“The first concern of states is not to

maximize power but to maintain their position in the system.”

(Kenneth Waltz in “Theory of International Politics”)

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