POL 2103 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: X Article, Truman Doctrine
Document Summary
This concept provides the link between trying to understand international politics and the facts to be understood. Power is the control of man over man: political realism is aware of the moral significance of political action. It is also aware of the tension between the moral command and the requirements of successful political action. Niccolo machiavelli: a prince never lack legitimate reasons to break his promise. : political realism refuses to identify the moral aspirations of a particular nation with the moral laws that govern the universe. Each state seeks power in order to survive. The objective of the state is to increase its power. Therefore, power is the specific expression of the national interest. Dominant concepts: absence of a world government, the international system is anarchic, the paradigm of ir must concentrate on the distribution of power among states.