Lecture notes
Waltz Structural Realism
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- SOAS , University Of London (SOAS)
notes on structural realism
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Waltz Structural Realism● Realism is not obsolete: the ideas of anarchy, self-help, and power balancing are still
in existence
○ Changes in the system ≠ Changes of the system
■ EX. Nuclear weapons changed the way states acted, sure, but it was
abt how states could provide for themselves and possibly for others’
security and hasn’t changed the anarchic structure of intl pol sys
■ EX2. changes in polarity:
■ significant changes take place when the number of great
powers reduce to two or one
■ multipolar:
■ states rely on great powers for their security
domestically and in alliances
■ competition is more complicated bc of many
uncertainties about comparative capabilities,
coherence and strength of alliances
■ these changes spread through the system and had significant
consequences, but it didn’t change the system
○ the common argument is that intl politics is transformed and realism is
being rendered obsolete as democracies expand, interdependence, and
institutions promote peace
democracy and peace
● the thesis: democracies do not fight democracies
○ this is because there is a high correlation between governmental form and intl
outcome
● the explanation: democracies of the “right kind” (usually ones that align with Kant’s
points of the republic with libdem values) are peaceful in relation to one another
● CRIT:
○ Kant’s definition of a “republic” was so restrictive that it’s unlikely that many
could come into existence at all
○ even if such republics exist, it’s unlikely that they would be sustained
■ EX. Weimar Republic → the one under hitler lololol has a
constitution, has liberal values like “all are equal”, freedom of
assembly and shit i think
○ who determines what the right democracy is?
■ ex. England and France didn’t see Germany as a democracy even
though objectively is kinda WAS a democracy
■ John Owen — democracies that perceive each other to be
democratic do not go to war with each other → this “gives
the game away”?
○ this also just doesn’t work lol because libdems have prepared for war and
have come close to fighting with each other before.
, ■ Christopher Layne — libdem countries do not fight most of the time
not bc they are both libdem but bc fear of a third party
■ EX. How could Britain and France fight each other over
Fashoda in 1898 when Germany was lurking?
○ libdem can eliminate some causes of war but not all
○ the democratic peace thesis will hold only if all the causes of war lie
inside of states
● THE CAUSES OF WAR
○ under the condition of international politics, war recurs
○ dempeace thesis defenders write as though the spread of democracy will
negate the effects of anarchy
■ Francis Fukuyama — there is no reason to associate anarchy with war
■ Russett — with enough democracies in the world, it “may be possible
in part to supersede the “realist” principles (anarchy, security dilemma,
etc.) that have dominated practice”
■ democratic states would be so confident in democracy that it
would no longer fear that other states could betray them?
■ guarantee of state’s proper external behaviour
derives from its internal qualities (bc democratic
→ guarantees that it will be diplomatic in
external affairs)
■ this removes structure from the structural theory
○ CRIT:
■ Kant’s Principles of the Political Order: establishment of proper
constitution internally requires proper external relations
■ outside influences inside democracy and not the other way
around
■ the state can also define its own actions in an anarchic sys. there
is no such thing as unjust war
■ Issue of spuriousness (John Mueller): other conditions can cause both
democratic and peace
■ ex. Strength and state capability: USA and other great powers
are able to obtain their ends peacefully while weaker states fail
or have to resort to war
■ ex. US government toppled democratically-elected
leaders in Dominican Republic and Chile (without the
use of force) because they were “communists” and
were on the wrong path, or “irresponsibility of its own
people”
■ a possible rebuttal for this is that “Ah! but
that’s bc Dominican Republic and Chile
weren’t perceived to be democraacies!
(John Owen’s idea) → definitional issues?
■ “liberal democracies” who go to war are
just not lib dem either.
■ casts even more doubt
■ democratically elected legislatures have also clamored for war (ex.
Pakistan, Jordan)
○ even when all states become democratic, it doesn’t change intl anarchy
because that’s an internal change
■ being a democracy doesn’t eliminate the possibility of going to war
with each other
■ Ex. 1914 Democratic England and France fought democratic
Germany
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