Political Thought and International Relations: Variations on a Realist Theme

Political realism dominated the field of International Relations during the Cold War. Since then, however, its fortunes have been mixed: pushed onto the backfoot during the 1990s, it has in recent years returned to the centre of scholarly debate. Despite its prominence in International Relations, however, realism plays only a marginal role in contemporary international political theory, where it is often associated with a form of crude realpolitik that ignores the ethical dimensions of political life. In contract, the contributors to this book explore alternative understandings of realism, seeing it as a sophisticated mode of political theorising. Some chapters offer critical interpretations of key realist thinkers, including Hans Morgenthau, E. H. Carr, and Reinhold Niebuhr. Others seek to widen the lens through which realism is usually viewed, exploring the writings of Martin Heidegger, Hannah Arendt, and Leo Strauss. Finally, a number of the contributors engage with general issues in international political theory, including the meaning of pessimism, the relationship between power and ethics, the purpose of normative theorising, and the character of political 'reality.' Straddling International Relations and political theory, this book makes a significant contribution to both fields.