Structural Realism - International Relations (1/7)

Summary

The speaker, a structural realist, argues that the anarchic nature of the international system compels states to pursue power for security. States, especially China, aim for regional dominance to avoid vulnerability. The U.S. and other nations resist such hegemony, leading to intense security competition. Despite China's economic rise, the speaker predicts non-peaceful ascendancy based on realist theory.

Takeaways

• 🏛️ Structural Realism: The speaker believes that the structure and architecture of the international system largely explain state behavior, rather than domestic politics or the composition of individual states.
• 🌐 Anarchic System: States exist in an anarchic international system with no higher authority to turn to if they encounter trouble, driving them to pursue power for survival.
• 💪 Power and Security: To avoid vulnerability in the anarchic system, states strive to be as powerful as possible to ensure their security and dominance.
• 🇺🇸 Example of the USA: The United States dominates the Western Hemisphere and faces no significant threats from its neighbors, showcasing the ideal powerful state scenario.
• 🔍 Realism Theories: Realism is divided into human nature realism, which attributes conflict to human nature, and structural realism, which attributes it to the international system's structure.
• 👥 Human Nature Realists: These theorists, like Hans Morgenthau, believe that humans are hardwired to pursue power, leading to international conflict.
• 🏗️ Structural Realists: These theorists, like the speaker and Ken Waltz, believe that the lack of a higher authority and uncertainty about other states' intentions drive states to engage in security competition.
• 🎯 Parsimonious Theory: Realism provides simple explanations for major international events, focusing on a few key factors to explain complex phenomena like World Wars.
• 🐉 China's Rise: The speaker believes that as China grows economically, it will seek to translate that power into military dominance in Asia, similar to the US in the Western Hemisphere.
• 🛡️ US-China Competition: The United States and China's neighbors will likely work to contain China's rise and prevent it from dominating Asia, leading to intense security competition.

Q & A

What is the core belief of a structural realist?

A structural realist believes that the structure and architecture of the international system largely explain how states behave, rather than domestic politics or the composition of individual states.

Why do states in an anarchic system pursue power according to the speaker?

States pursue power in an anarchic system to ensure their survival and security, as there is no higher authority to turn to for help, and they can never be certain about the intentions of other states.

What is the difference between human nature realism and structural realism?

Human nature realism attributes aggressive behavior to inherent human traits, like Morgenthau's 'animus dominandi', while structural realism, as the speaker explains, attributes it to the lack of a higher authority and the uncertainty of other states' intentions in the international system.

Why does the speaker believe that the United States does not fear attacks from its neighbors?

The speaker believes the United States does not fear attacks due to its overwhelming power in the Western hemisphere, which deters any potential adversaries.

What does the speaker suggest is the ideal situation for a state in the international system?

The ideal situation for any state, according to the speaker, is to be as powerful as possible to avoid vulnerability and ensure survival in an anarchic system.

How does the speaker describe the theory of realism?

The speaker describes realism as a parsimonious and simple theory that provides straightforward explanations for significant events in international politics, particularly related to war and peace.

What does the speaker predict about China's rise and its implications for Asia?

The speaker predicts that China's economic rise will translate into military might and that China will attempt to dominate Asia, much like the United States dominates the Western hemisphere.

What is the United States' likely response to China's attempt to dominate Asia according to the speaker?

The speaker suggests that the United States will go to great lengths to prevent China from dominating Asia, as it does not tolerate peer competitors.

Why would China's neighbors join the United States in containing China's dominance in Asia?

China's neighbors would join the United States to contain China because they would not want a powerful, potentially hegemonic neighbor and would prefer to maintain a balance of power in the region.

What is the speaker's view on whether China can rise peacefully?

The speaker's view, based on his theory of structural realism, is that China cannot rise peacefully due to the inherent competitive nature of the international system and the pursuit of power by states.