POL208Y1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: William Wohlforth, Fareed Zakaria, Neoclassical Realism
Document Summary
Is anybody a realist: realism- a theoretical paradigm in internation. Realism is not a single theory but a family of theories: desirables attributes of a set core assumptions and reformulation of realism. A paradigm depends on two criteria, coherence and distinctiveness: paradigm must be logically coherent. It must not contain internal logical contradictions that permit the unambiguous derivation of contradictory conclusions. When theoretical explanation of empirical findings within a paradigm consistently relies on auxiliary assumptions unconnected to core assumptions to predict novel facts or clear up anomalies, we learn little about the veracity of those assumptions. When it relies on auxiliary assumptions contradictory to underlying core assumptions, our confidence in those core assumptions should weaken: paradigm must be distinct. Its assumptions must clearly differentiate it from recognized theoretical alternatives. Paradigmatic formulations must make sense not only on their own terms, but also within the context of broader social scientific debates.
