Classical Realism Vs. Marxism - 1544 Words

Borne of several exhaustive accounts of human conflict and their subsequent analyses, Classical Realism remains the most compelling theory of those recognised in the study of International Relations (IR). Predating idealist dogma, the sombre chronicles of ancient Greek historian Thucydides served as a preliminary framework for a series of timeless texts that remain as applicable in the current political climate as they had been centuries prior. A distinguishing feature of Classical Realism is its pessimistic interpretation of human nature and interstate relations, underpinning what critics perceive to be a famine of morality. This is exacerbated by an observed inability to account for substantial developments in the global political†¦show more content†¦78). Importantly, Machiavelli advised that human nature is not pliable – men â€Å"will always have, the same passions, and of necessity they must result in the same effects† (1996, p. 212). Recognising perpetual self-interest as a core attribute of humanity, theorist Hans J Morgenthau follows that these issues â€Å"cannot be exorcised by some technological, social, or, political contrivance† (1984, p. 379). Although Hobbesian and Machiavellian perceptions of human nature are generally grim, both acknowledge the intrinsic ability of man to reason. Hobbes hypothesised therein that dangers presented by human nature can only be suppressed if const ituent members of a society surrender their natural rights to a common body. For Realists, this is embodied in the creation of a concordant and sovereign state. In the collective culmination of the state of nature, individuals in society create a different state; that is, â€Å"a legal entity that possesses a permanent population, a well-defined territory and a government capable of exercising sovereignty† (Kegley Raymond 2005, p. 47). The state, often used interchangeably with the terms ‘nation’ or ‘nation-state’, is the most important actor in the Realist international system. Possessing no superior authority (sovereignty), the respective states of the world interact in a condition of anarchy. With this provision, the state is unrestrained by the ‘social contract’ imposed on individuals at a domestic level. Thus, the actions takenShow MoreRelated Mumbo Jumbo by Ishmael Reed Essay3625 Words   |  15 Pagesdance craze that reappears in New Orleans in the 1890s. Throughout the book the hoodoo, or better, the philosophy behind hoodoo is paid a lot of attention. This is significant, because in the postmodern aesthetics there is a turn to the hyper-realism. The practices that Papa La Bas carries out are related to magic and reading minds etc. The word Hoodoo came to America when the Voodoo of Haiti was imported into French Louisiana by planters and slaves that were escaping the Haitian revolution. 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