Kenneth Waltz in the context of "Neorealism (international relations)"

⭐ In the context of Neorealism, Kenneth Waltz’s theory primarily attributes state behavior to what fundamental characteristic of the international system?

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⭐ Core Definition: Kenneth Waltz

Kenneth Neal Waltz (/wɔːlts/; June 8, 1924 – May 12, 2013) was an American political scientist who was a member of the faculty at both the University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University and one of the most prominent scholars in the field of international relations. He was a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War.

Waltz was one of the original founders of neorealism, or structural realism, in international relations theory and later became associated with the school of defensive neorealism. Waltz's theories have been extensively debated within the field of international relations. His 1979 book Theory of International Politics is the most assigned book in International Relations graduate training at U.S. universities.

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πŸ‘‰ Kenneth Waltz in the context of Neorealism (international relations)

Neorealism or structural realism is a theory of international relations that emphasizes the role of power politics in international relations, sees competition and conflict as enduring features and sees limited potential for cooperation. The anarchic state of the international system means that states cannot be certain of other states' intentions and their security, thus prompting them to engage in power politics.

It was first outlined by Kenneth Waltz in his 1979 book Theory of International Politics. Alongside neoliberalism, neorealism is one of the two most influential contemporary approaches to international relations; the two perspectives dominated international relations theory from the 1960s to the 1990s.

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Kenneth Waltz in the context of Theory of International Politics

Theory of International Politics is a 1979 book on international relations theory by Kenneth Waltz that creates a structural realist theory, neorealism, to explain international relations. Taking into account the influence of neoclassical economic theory, Waltz argued that the fundamental "ordering principle" (p.Β 88) of the international political system is anarchy, which is defined by the presence of "functionally undifferentiated" (p.Β 97) individual state actors lacking "relations of super- and subordination" (p.Β 88) that are distinguished only by their varying capabilities.

Waltz challenges reductionist approaches to international politics, arguing that they fail to account for similar behaviors across states (Ch. 4). According to Waltz, system-level processes of socialization and competition lead states to behave in similar ways (p. 76).

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Kenneth Waltz in the context of Defensive realism

Defensive neorealism is a structural theory in international relations which is derived from the school of neorealism. The theory finds its foundation in the political scientist Kenneth Waltz's Theory of International Politics in which Waltz argues that the anarchical structure of the international system encourages states to maintain moderate and reserved policies to attain national security. In contrast, offensive realism assumes that states seek to maximize their power and influence to achieve security through domination and hegemony. Defensive neorealism asserts that aggressive expansion as promoted by offensive neorealists upsets the tendency of states to conform to the balance of power theory, thereby decreasing the primary objective of the state, which they argue to be the ensuring of its security. Defensive realism denies neither the reality of interstate conflict or that incentives for state expansion exist, but it contends that those incentives are sporadic, rather than endemic. Defensive neorealism points towards "structural modifiers," such as the security dilemma and geography, and elite beliefs and perceptions to explain the outbreak of conflict.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Neorealism (international relations) ← Theory of International Politics ← Defensive realism
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Political scientist → University of California, Berkeley → Columbia University → International relations → World War II → Korean War → Neorealism (international relations) → International relations theory → Defensive realism → Theory of International Politics →