Talk:Realism (international relations)

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 Definition A concept, in foreign policy, that actors can cooperate on matters of common external concern, without attempting to reform one anothers' internal structures [d] [e]
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The sentence:
It is also called realpolitik, the German equivalent
is out of line with the generally accepted usage of the term realpolitik, which is that of the pursuit of the national interest without regard to ethical or humanitarian considerations (see [1]). Realism as defined is one of its subsets, not its equivalent.

I propose to delete the sentence. Nick Gardner 02:50, 10 May 2011 (CDT)

Thanks for the subtle observation. We don't have an article on realpolitik per se, although we do have aticles on geopolitics and Karl Haushofer. Your observation means we need to be consistent among the three articles. Further, see some distinctions made in the article on Francis Fukuyama's book, America at the Crossroads.
From the reading I've done in Haushofer's works, which is not everything he had done, yes, I would argue that he did believe in pursuit of the national interest, there were no ethical or human considerations. He treated a nation from a biological standpoint, as an organism that had to expand to live. For the sake of argument, let's assume that is realpolitik.
The antithesis of realpolitik would be liberal internationalism, sometimes called Wilsonianism, in which actions are taken, against other states, principally due to humanitarian concerns. Neoconservatism is less humanitarian in intent, but does believe that it is ethical to impose democracy, which also helps the security of the acting state. Fukuyama describes his ideal as realistic Wilsonianism.
It is about 5AM, and I think I might be able to get to sleep. What we need, I think, is something of a Venn diagram among these concepts. Are, for example, realpolitik, Kissinger-style realism, and liberal Wilsonianism (and perhaps neoconservatism) all subsets of realism? At this moment, I'm not sure. I am sure you are asking a good question, but I think the answer is more complex than deleting that sentence. Of course, there are those that would say I have no right to have an expert opinion on the theories of international politics. Howard C. Berkowitz 03:59, 10 May 2011 (CDT)
Agreed. I hope to go some way toward untangling this complex issue in a new paragraph in the politics article. I have deleted the sentence in order to avoid conflict with what is to appear there.
I hope you slept well. Nick Gardner 06:15, 10 May 2011 (CDT)