Definition
A diverse tradition in international relations stressing power, security, political competition and the constraints of anarchy. Classical, structural and neoclassical realist approaches disagree on the principal causes of state behaviour.
Theoretical Context
Classical realism emphasises leadership and political judgement, while Kenneth Waltz's structural realism stresses system structure and the distribution of capabilities. Offensive, defensive and neoclassical approaches offer different expectations about expansion, restraint and domestic constraints. Realism does not assert that every state invariably seeks war.
Key Thinkers
Hans Morgenthau
Kenneth Waltz