Compare and contrast Political Idealism and

Political Realism as classical approaches to

International Relations.

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This is particularly true of theorists who belong to the realist
school of international relations. Realists attribute important
international outcomes and foreign policy behaviour to the
relative distribution of power in the international system.
Compared to liberal theorists, who generally seem to be
unconcerned about shifting patterns of power, realists are very
interested in relative changes in state power. Realists argue that
changes in the distribution of power that are triggered by a rising
power have significant implications for the overall stability of the
international system. For most realists, rapidly growing states
are inherently threatening. Their deep concern about rising
powers should not be surprising because, unlike liberals, they
consider power to be the main currency of international politics.
Moreover, many of the topics in which realists are interested,
such as the causes of war, the balance of power, and grand
strategy, are directly related to changes in the relative
distribution of power.
Morgenthau’s Realist
Theory (6 Principles)
To sum up, we can say, Political Realism regards international politics as struggle for
power among nations whereby each nation tries to secure its national interest. It seeks
to build a rational and realistic theory of International Politics and for this, regards the
concept of “interest defined as power” as the benchmark.

It emphasizes the study of factors and consequences of political policies and gives
secondary importance to motives in international relations. It refuses to use universal
moral principles for judging state actions and instead advocates dependence on
prudence for analyzing policies and facts of international politics.

Further, political realism believes that the foreign policy of each nation is really based
upon national interest and not upon moral principles. The latter are used as covers to
buttress the goals of national interests. Finally, political realism accepts and advocates
the autonomy of international politics as a discipline studying national interest defined
in terms of power.

It defines international politics as struggle for power. Regarding the question of securing
peace, Morgenthau advocates recourse to peace through accommodation. For this he
accepts diplomacy and devices of power management as the ideal and effective means.