The basic principle of realism holds that the state is the principal actor in the international system, with no authority above it capable of enforcing rules or norms. In other words, states operate in an anarchic environment, prioritizing their own survival and interests over compliance with international law or institutions.
Thucydides,
in his account of the Peloponnesian War, emphasized that power and security drive state behavior, famously noting that “the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.”
Hobbes
extended this idea to the international realm, arguing that, in the absence of a higher authority, states exist in a “state of nature” characterized by fear, competition, and self-help.
Morgenthau,
in the modern realist tradition, further argued that the pursuit of national interest and power is a universal and objective principle that governs state conduct.
Accordingly, states frequently go to great lengths to secure their national interests, employing all available tools, from diplomacy and economic leverage to military force, because survival and power remain their ultimate priorities. For instance, George Kennan believed the United Nations was inadequate for dealing with the hard, cynical realities of power politics.
In this context, international organizations and legal frameworks are often secondary tools that major powers employ when convenient, rather than binding authorities. This perspective explains why major powers frequently pursue strategies of self-help, balancing, or strategic competition, guided primarily by calculations of power and national interest rather than by ethical or legal norms.
#realism
