Hans Morgenthau

Hans Morgenthau

Hans Morgenthau

A founding approach to the study and practice of international politics is known as political realism. As the father of the realist theory of international relations, Hans Morgenthau consistently argued that international politics is conflict-based and subject to the competitive nature of humankind. He remains the central figure in international relations scholarship and in the ongoing debate over the continued relevance of realist thought in the post-Cold War era.

The son of a physician, Morgenthau was born in Coburg, Germany, on February 7, 1904. He earned early degrees in law at the Universities of Munich and Frankfurt and practiced law until 1930. In 1932, Morgenthau went to teach in Geneva, Switzerland and eventually became a Professor of International Law at the Institute of International and Economic Studies in Madrid, Spain. (Williams, 2005, 12)

In 1937, Morgenthau came to the United States, seeking citizenship and intellectual freedom. Fluent in English, French, German, and Spanish, he held many teaching posts. His influence as a scholar of political science established, his book Politics Among Nations(1949) literally defined the field of diplomacy and the post-World War II shift in power alignments.

Realism is an approach to the study and practice of international politics, which claims that national interest is the primary motivator of international relations. National interest can be characterized by military, economic, political, diplomatic, or even cultural objectives, but it must be defined in terms of power. For the realist, power is important only in regard to its comparison and dominance over rival power. The ability to coerce, successfully defend, or achieve parity are important differences among states and the emphasis of the realist approach. Underlying the approach is the notion that international relations resides in anarchy, and states are motivated by their interests to either enforce or abandon agreements to maintain desirable order. In achieving this goal, nation-states must rely on their available resources, understanding that there is no authority over their sovereignty. (Williams, 2005, 3)

For classical realists from Thucydides to Hans Morgenthau, the principal barrier to cooperation among states lies in the fact that their constant rivalry for power and frequent descent into conflict and war is simply a reflection of the characteristics of the human nature of their citizens. For structural realists, notably Kenneth Waltz, the propensity for conflict and rivalry, rather than cooperation, in human affairs is not attributable to human nature but rather the absence of an overarching political authority above states and the nature of the distribution of power in international politics.

In political science, and particularly in the study of international relations, the concept of realism often evokes a reference to the work of individuals such as Hans Morgenthau and Kenneth Waltz, who have advanced substantive arguments about the nature of politics that have emphasized power, the pursuit of self-interest, the role of the state, and the anarchical character of the international political system. This, however, should not be confused with contemporary efforts to bring the philosophy of scientific realism and critical realism to bear ...