Global Politics 101—Realism
Welcome! This is an introduction to global politics for those who are interested in studying global politics in the DP and those who are interested in how the world works in general. I would like to walk you through some of the key theories and concepts in global politics (a.k.a. international relations) as simply as possible. In this article, I would like to discuss REALISM, which is one of the most important theories in global politics that helps us to view the world, specifically countries, in a certain way.
But of course, we first need to understand what global politics is all about. In global politics, we study how the world works and how we deal with global issues such as human rights, peace, sustainability, and more (I mean, this is clearly oversimplified, but for now, it’s good enough). Also, you must know that we only study things that are happening or have happened in the 21st century (2000~present) in global politics, as the course is only about 100 years old.
Now, finally on to realism! Realism is arguably the most popular theory in global politics and it is specifically about the certain way that countries think and interact with other countries. But when I think of realism, I like to think of human beings.Here’s one thing about humans: we’re very SELFISH! If saving someone from a bully makes you get punched in the face, why help? It’s not at all beneficial for you! Nobody’s a hero. This is exactly how realists (supporters of realism) think of countries in the world. Every country is sociopathic! (Maybe that’s going a bit too far.) According to realism, we live in a cold world where every country only cares about their own national interests and national security. Also, all of them want to be strong and powerful. If doing something hurts them or makes them weak in some way, they’ll NEVER do it no matter what it is, because they only act in ways that benefit them. Basically, realists view the world as a Hunger Games-style arena where you need to survive through competing with others.
In global politics, we always try to take an abstract concept or theory like realism and apply it to a real world example. One example of a realist world is shown through the war between Ukraine and Russia, which has been going on for a while. Although representatives of many countries have expressed their support for Ukraine, Ukraine was left alone to fight with Russia because other countries didn’t want to directly join the war or send military groups to Ukraine. For example, one reason the US doesn’t send troops to Ukraine might be because Ukraine doesn’t really matter to the US. Ukraine is not near the US, it does not have a US military base, and there is nothing good about fighting with Russia and making the war bigger from the US’s perspective. Therefore, the US doesn’t need to join the war, as doing so can negatively impact them.
Furthermore, realists think that war is inevitable. This is because they believe that we live in an anarchic world, which means that in our world, there are no police to stop anyone from doing something bad. Because all countries want to be stronger and pursue their national interests, war is a very natural phenomenon in the international system (i.e. the world).
Importantly, realists believe that countries are...
Narcissistic and selfish, which is reasonable, because countries need to survive
Sometimes not very cooperative due to conflicting national interests
Living in an anarchic world (for countries, there aren’t any higher authorities like police, law, or government)
Paranoid and distrusting of others
Desiring to maximize their power
Do you agree with realists? Is the world actually a battlefield where everyone competes with one another over power and interests? Is it reasonable that countries always rely on power and prioritize their national interests and security over anything? Let me know what you think!
