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Summary: Morgenthau - Politics among Nations. The Struggle for Power and Peace - tekst 1
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Hans J. Morgenthau, Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace, Fifth Edition, Revised,(New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1978, pp. 4-15
Summary
The first principle of political realism
Political realism believes that politics, like society in general, is governed by the objective Laws
that have their roots in human nature. In order to improve society it is first necessary to
understand the laws by which society lives. These laws are unaffected by the preferences of
people.
They also believe that due to these objective laws, there should also be a rational theory that
reflects these laws. Even though this theory will be imperfect and one-sided, it will be able to
make a distinction between truth and opinion, what is true objectively and rationally, what is
supported by evidence and what by subjective judgement, what is prejudice and what is
wishful thinking.
Human nature has not changed (human nature is the source from which laws of politics
derive)
A theory of politics has to be subjected to reason and experience
You can’t dismiss a theory based upon its Origins or considering it to be outdated. That is not
a good argument (based upon rationality).
According to realism, theories main feature is that the fact that they are based upon
ascertaining facts and give these facts meaning through reason. One can only discover and
analyze the true character of foreign policy by means of examining the political acts
performed and their foreseeable consequences. Thus we can find out what statesmen have
actually done, and from the foreseeable consequences of their acts we can surmise what their
objectives might have been. Yet, examination of the facts it not enough. To give meaning to
the factual raw material of Foreign policy, reality must be approached with a kind of rational
outline, a map that suggests to us the possible meanings of foreign policy. In other words, we
put ourselves in the position of statesmen who must meet a certain problem of foreign policy
under circumstances, and ask ourselves what the rational alternatives from which a statesman
may choose who must meet this problem under these circumstances, and which of these
alternatives a statesman, acting under these circumstances, is likely to choose.
o It is the testing of this rational hypothesis against the actual facts and their
consequences that gives theoretical meaning to the fact of international politics.
The second principle of political realism
The concept of interest is defined in terms of power. This concept provides the link between
reason trying to understand international politics and the facts to be understood. It sets politics
as an autonomous sphere of action and understanding apart from other spheres, such as
economics, ethics, aesthetics, or religion. It provides us with the opportunity to make a
distinction between political and non-political facts.
o Without this distinction between political and non-political facts – a theory of
international politics would be impossible. Moreover, it provides us with the opportunity
to create a systematic order to the political sphere.
It is assumed that Statesmen think and act in terms of interest defined in power. Doing so,
provides us also with clues about which steps a statesman is likely to take with regards to the
past, present and future.
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, o Thinking in terms of interest defined as power, we think as he does, and as disinterested
observers we understand his thoughts and actions perhaps better than he, the actor on
the political scene, does himself.
A realist theory of international politics will guard against two popular fallacies:
o The concern with motives
Motives are the most illusive of psychological data. Mostly, they are Beyond
recognition. Can one know its own motives? And what do we know of the
motives of others?
Do we even need to know the motives of statesmen? How often does a
Statesmen aspire to improve the world, which ultimately makes matters worse?
Example: Neville Chamberlain’s politics of appeasement. He sought to
assure peace and happiness of all concerned.
Example: Churchill’s motives were more based upon national and
personal power. However, the policies which originate from these
motives, were superior in moral and political Quality in comparison to
his predecessor.
o The concern with ideological preferences.
Political realism does not require, nor does it condone, indifference to political
ideals and moral principles, but it requires indeed a Sharp distinction between
the desirable and the possible - between what is desirable everywhere and at all
times and what is possible under the concrete circumstances of time and place.
It is about the intellectual ability of Statesmen to comprehend the Essentials of
foreign policy, as well as his political ability to translate what he has
comprehended into successful political action.
Political theory must judge the political qualities of intellect, will and action.
o Without a shadow of doubt are not all policies the product of rationality. Elements such
as personality, prejudice, subjective preference and the weakness of intellect can leave
their mark on foreign policies. Especially within democratic countries, there is this
temptation to follow the course of popular emotions
Political realism aims as it were abstract from these irrational elements and seek to paint a
picture of foreign policy which presents the rational essence to be found in experience.
The need to marshal popular emotions to the support of foreign policy cannot fail to impair the
rationality of foreign policy itself.
Good motives give assurance against deliberately bad policies; they do not guarantee the moral
goodness and political success of the policies they inspire. What is important to know, if one
wants to understand foreign policy, is not primarily the motives of a statesman, but his
intellectual ability to comprehend the essentials of foreign policy, as well as his political ability to
translate what he has comprehended into successful political action. It follows that while ethics
in the abstract judges the moral qualities of motives, political theory must judge the political
qualities of intellect, will, and action.
A realist theory of international politics will also avoid the other popular fallacy of equating the
foreign policies of a statesman with his philosophic or political sympathies, and of deducing the
former from the latter. Statesmen, especially under contemporary conditions, may well make a
habit of presenting their foreign policies in terms of their philosophic and political sympathies in
order to gain popular support for them.
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