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Statue of Niccolò Machiavelli. Classical realism is an international relations theory from the realist school of thought. [1] Realism makes the following assumptions: states are the main actors in the international relations system, there is no supranational international authority, states act in their own self-interest, and states want power for self-preservation. [2]
Classical realism states that it is fundamentally the nature of humans that pushes states and individuals to act in a way that places interests over ideologies. Classical realism is an ideology defined as the view that the "drive for power and the will to dominate [that are] held to be fundamental aspects of human nature". [28]
Classical realism originally explained the machinations of international politics as being based on human nature and therefore subject to the ego and emotion of world leaders. [5] Neorealist thinkers instead propose that structural constraints—not strategy, egoism, or motivation—will determine behavior in international relations.
Neorealism or structural realism [14] is a development of realism advanced by Kenneth Waltz in Theory of International Politics. It is, however, only one strand of neorealism. Joseph Grieco has combined neo-realist thinking with more traditional realists. This strand of theory is sometimes called "modern realism". [15]
Offensive realism is a prominent and important theory of international relations belonging to the realist school of thought, which includes various sub-trends characterised by the different perspectives of representative scholars such as Robert Gilpin, Eric J. Labs, Dylan Motin, Sebastian Rosato, Randall Schweller and Fareed Zakaria.
Morgenthau is sometimes referred to as a classical realist or modern realist in order to differentiate his approach from the structural realism or neo-realism associated with Kenneth Waltz. [32] Recent scholarly assessments of Morgenthau show that his intellectual trajectory was more complicated than originally thought.
Defensive neorealism is a structural theory in international relations that is derived from the school of neorealism.The theory finds its foundation in the political scientist Kenneth Waltz's Theory of International Politics in which Waltz argues that the anarchical structure of the international system encourages states to maintain moderate and reserved policies to attain national security. [1]
Neoclassical realism is a theory of international relations and an approach to foreign policy analysis. [1] Initially coined by Gideon Rose in a 1998 World Politics review article, it is a combination of classical realist and neorealist – particularly defensive realist – theories.