Political scientists have become increasingly interested in global politics and are searching for a greater understanding of international relations and theories that help explain them.

Political scientists have become increasingly interested in global politics and are searching for a greater understanding of international relations and theories that help explain them. There are several popularised theories but despite coming under increasing attack from more liberal ideas in recent years, realism remains the most dominant. The study of realism can be traced back thousands of years to the writings of historian Thucydides. An exiled general in the Peloponnesian Wars Thucydides reflected on the causation of the wars approximately 400 years BC. Since then realism has been expanded upon and pioneered by political scientist, sociologist, psychologists and historians, the most notably of these being Niccolo Machiavelli and Thomas Hobbs in the seventeenth century. While different strains of realism have emerged over the years with different enthuses on key values the theories hold a few basic recurring assumptions, based around the sceptical outlook of humans in an anarchical world system.

Central to realist assumptions is a basic sceptical belief in human nature. Realists believe humans are selfish creatures and are interested in only promoting their own needs. Hobbes believed that humans were driven by the instinct to compete, gain security and win honour; ‘in the nature of man we find three principle causes of quarrel: first, competition; secondly, difference; thirdly glory’ these characteristics, he believed, would create continuous conflict and ‘war of all against all.’ Thus the politics of human’s interaction is a war to gain power. This is how realists explain international relations. As the realist Hans J. Morgenthau puts it ‘Whatever the ultimate aims of international politics, power is always the immediate aim.’

While different strains of realism puts different emphasises the importance of the nation-state, all realists believe that the states are the most important actor in world politics. This is because self-interest humans are encouraged to form states with artificial boundaries to protect themselves against others and promote their own interests. While it is impossible to stop them competing with each other, a powerful agent (a King, government or union) can create order and direct efforts toward progress. This is not so outside a state and thus Hobbes agues that due to the lack of trans-national order international relationships are anarchical. Meaning that there is a clear distinct difference made been the order of domestic policy and that of foreign policy.

A state is responsible for providing its citizen with some basic key values such as welfare, safety, a rule of law and security. Because human form into states to create security they create enemies of like-minded states; this is none as the ‘security dilemma’. And is why realists hold national security in high regard. They thus reject the view that economic issues hold a greater importance than defensive and military issues, as economic policies of a state are principally directed towards security. Machiavelli put great enthuses on this in his book (The Prince) and claims that security cannot ...