The article highlights an introduction to neorealism and offensive and defensive realism. Mainly, neorealism is an international relations theory that says that power is the most critical factor in international relations. Kenneth waltz first outlined the theory in 1975 and 1979, and its uniqueness was in its attempt to be more explicitly theoretical. Notably, some refer to neorealism as structural realism or realist, emphasizing the continuation from older views. Neorealism’s primary theoretical claim is that in international politics, war is a possibility at any time. An introduction to neorealism helps in understanding its branches, such as offensive and defensive realism.
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INTRODUCTION TO NEOREALISM AND CLASSICAL REALISM
Neorealism differed from classical realism in two key areas that included methodology and level of analysis. Initially, neorealism was an attempt to translate critical insights of classical realism into language and social science methods. Additionally, Kenneth waltz argued that international relations features got explained in terms of the anarchical structure of the international system. Besides, in terms of methodology, realism is rigorous social-scientific theory drawing mainly from microeconomics. Nevertheless, in terms of the level of analysis, waltz argued that traditional realist arguments about domestic institutions were primarily irrelevant. The essay discusses an introduction to neorealism and highlights offensive and defensive realism.
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OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE REALISM AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
There are two branches of neorealism, and they include offensive and defensive realism. For offensive realism, security is scarce, and thus states need to maximize their share of world power. This is mainly to make themselves more secure by seeking superiority rather than equality to increase their survival odds. The rationale is that the more powerful and more robust a state is, the less likely it becomes a target. Primarily, in defensive realism, security is plentiful, and major powers seek to maximize the existing balance. The balance occurs through the employment of defensive strategies. In conclusion, introduction to neorealism helps in understanding offensive and defensive realism in play in international relations.
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