POL S 121 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Siege Of Melos, Peloponnesian War, Realis Mood
Document Summary
Lecture 2: the realist approach to violence and. Two actors meeting = sociopolitical behavior = foundation of international relations. Why would two actors compete instead of cooperate (initially?) Fear - should be afraid for own survival. Realism believes that states don"t use power just for power"s sake. Not the opposite of liberalism, but is the opposite of ideology. States "think and act in terms of interest defined as power" (morgenthau) Drive for power will be replaced by institutions (world government) States aren"t driven by ideology or a certain vision of the world. Guaranteeing that all states think in terms of power will eliminate war. Realists measure state power and predict behavior on the assumption that states are motivated to increase it. All state behavior is dedicated to increasing their capacity and ability to fight off bad and survive. Straightforward moment of diplomacy between big power (athens) and small state (melos)
