What is realism?

[Edit this paragraph] Realism is not only a kind of world outlook, but also a set of hypothetical research paradigms containing various realists' theories and viewpoints. Realism is first of all a long-standing philosophical tradition and world outlook. As a world outlook, realism is based on a pessimistic understanding of moral progress and human ability. Realists believe that history is a cycle, not progress. They deeply doubt whether human beings have the ability to overcome recurring conflicts and establish lasting cooperation and peace. Realistic worldview pays more attention to the evil in human nature and the repeated tragedies in human experience. These realistic philosophical views have been strongly reflected in the works of Thucydides, Hobbes and Machiavelli. In the 20th century, ReinholdNiebuhr was a typical representative of this realism, although the philosophical basis of realism has been clearly demonstrated in the works of HerbertButterfield, MartinWight and Hans Morgenthau.

Although realists are pessimistic about moral progress and human ability, their understanding of the root of realistic pessimism is different. The pessimism of classical realism is rooted in human nature. It believes that human nature is evil, and because of the deep-rooted objective law of human nature, the opposition and conflict of interests in the international political field are inevitable. Different from classical realism, the pessimism of new realism is more rooted in the essence of the international system. Kenneth Waltz, the main representative of neo-realism, believes that the international system is different from the domestic system. "The components of the domestic political system are subordinate, some have the right to command, and some have to obey. The domestic system is centralized and hierarchical. The components of the international system are equally relevant. " "The basic structural feature of the international system is anarchy. There is no statutory centralized control. " Lack of authority over the state leads to mutual insecurity, conflict and dependence on organized violence. The nature of the international system leads to constant competition and conflicts between countries. Countries can alleviate the influence of anarchy in the international system through diplomacy and power balance, but they cannot fundamentally eliminate its influence.

Secondly, realism can also be regarded as a research method to understand international politics. Scholars who consider themselves realism may hold the above-mentioned philosophical pessimism of realism, but when they try to explain the theoretical concept of how sovereign States interact, they often go beyond this pessimism. Most realists try to establish social science theories that can explain and predict international behavior. However, the boundary between these two types of realists is not always clear. The basic philosophy of realists is that international politics has always been and will always be marked by the use of power, military power and realistic politics. They are skeptical about the value of mechanisms such as international law, morality and the United Nations. It can be seen that realism is a general research method to understand international politics, not a single unified theory. Many critics and supporters of realism often fail to realize that realism is also a research method to understand international politics and a collection of many related theories. However, the view that realism is regarded as a single unified theory actually ignores the diversity of realism thoughts, which makes their understanding of realism too simplistic. Although the viewpoint of security research is often influenced by philosophical realism, many debates in contemporary international political theory and practice revolve around the theoretical issues of realism as a research method.

It must be pointed out that although most realists' realistic theories about international politics are often inconsistent, they share the same core ideas on the following essential issues of international politics. First of all, they believe that the state is the most important and important actor in international politics and the basic unit that constitutes the current international system. Therefore, the study of international politics will focus on the study of relations between countries. Less attention is paid to the role of non-state actors such as international organizations and transnational corporations in international politics. They believe that non-state actors such as international organizations and transnational corporations can't actually realize the important position of the country. Secondly, realists believe that anarchy, that is, the absence of any supreme authority, is the most prominent feature in international politics. In anarchy, "self-help must be the criterion of action", and the state must use all means of self-help. Including the use of force to protect their interests. Competition is the inevitable result of this anarchic system. The competition between countries is mainly concentrated in the field of military security, but it also includes economic and other fields. The competition between countries makes countries pay close attention to their power position in the international system and their relative advantages compared with other countries. This kind of worry guides the behavior of countries and makes it difficult to achieve cooperation between countries. Third, realists believe that the state will seek to maximize its power or security. Some realists pay attention to power and think that power is an end in itself. Morgenthau is an outstanding example of this realism, while others regard power as a means of security. For example, volz emphasized that power is only a means to achieve security goals. Fourthly, realists believe that the state is a unified and rational actor in international affairs. It can reasonably determine its foreign policy objectives, consider the feasibility and possible results of various policy programs, and then choose the policy program that maximizes the realization of national goals. As Robert O. Keohane pointed out, for realists, the state is a unified and rational actor, and it will carefully weigh the costs of various available actions and seek to maximize the expected utility. Although there is still considerable uncertainty and lack of sufficient information to make rational choices, these assumptions constitute the starting point for realists to analyze international politics, but this has not led to their unanimous understanding of international politics or a single theory of state behavior. Although every realist accepts these core assumptions, their different understanding of realism theory as a research method leads to their different interpretations of contemporary international politics, which forms some differences among realists in the mode of international order.