Differences and commonalities between 'Realist' writers such as Thucydides, Machiavelli, Hobbes and Morgenthau
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international relations
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published 14/07/2008
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SummaryAlthough realism, as a discipline in International Relations has only been around since the Second World War, it has a tradition that can be traced back to the time of the ancient Greeks. The fact that realism still provides a viable, though frequently criticized theory in politics can be owed to the enduring foundation layed down by Thucydides, Machiavelli and Hobbes, and to the significant contribution of Hans Morgenthau. In this essay I am going to present a comparison of these theorists, who, although each having a completely different historical setting, thus a different starting point, have tried to deal with the same dilemmas like human nature, the state and the sovereign and power and ethics in international politics. First I am going to introduce the differences of historical background and purpose of writing. Then I will present the commonalities and differences in their thoughts on the following points: human nature, the sovereign and the state, international politics. Finally, I will briefly reflect on the question how realist these authors can really be considered.
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