| Title |
Politinis realizmas tarptautiniuose santykiuose: samprata ir nesusipratimai po Šaltojo karo / |
| Translation of Title |
Political realism in international relations: conception and misconceptions after the cold war. |
| Authors |
Petraitis, Jaunius |
| DOI |
10.15388/Polit.2012.1.1528 |
| Full Text |
|
| Is Part of |
Poitologija.. Vilnius : Vilniaus universiteto leidykla. 2012, t. 65, Nr. 1, p. 29-92.. ISSN 1392-1681. eISSN 2424-6034 |
| Abstract [eng] |
In the second part, misconceptions of realism after the Cold War are analysed. It is shown that the shifts in content of contemporary realist theories are path-dependent and rooted in “Waltz paradox”. The paradox led to three different modes of realist enterprise: (i) conservative reaction; (ii) “middle way”; and (iii) radical reaction. These stages purport the gradually increasing deviation from the original descriptive principles of realism. Conservative reaction is based on a false assumption that states can follow rational winning strategies. Middle-way “realists” (mis)treat the political struggle for power only as an outgrowth of specific circumstances. More and more of them follow the liberal agenda, trying to find and neutralise the “irrational factors”, and thereby secure the rational (universally acceptable) political outcomes. Finally, radical reaction means reconstruction of realism as an entirely prescriptive discourse and moral guidelines for peaceful accommodation and liberal political order. The implications of these theoretical changes are exemplitied by discussing standard “realistic” explanations of US foreign policy after the Cold War. It is shown that none of today’s “realist” approaches is realistic enough to grasp the operation of the principles once known to realism. The findings of this research challenge the false truths about the relation between political realism, scientific IR enterprise and political practice. |
| Published |
Vilnius : Vilniaus universiteto leidykla |
| Type |
Journal article |
| Language |
Lithuanian |
| Publication date |
2012 |
| CC license |
|
