Session 5-Morality and Political Decisions

Morgenthau's "Political Realism" seeks to develop a complete analysis of international politics. In contrast to idealism, Realism rests on the assumption that human nature is egoistic and that international politics revolve around people having opposing interests. These opposing interest lead to a thirst for power, where morality is secondary to power. Power seeking states will then act to maximize their benefits, and this is achieved through conflict. His theory rests on the fact that conflict is inevitable.

Morgenthau's theory is based on the six principles of political realism. The fourth one states, 'Universal moral principles cannot be applied to the actions of states in the abstract; the circumstances of time and place must be considered.' When studying International Relations, one seeks to understand why wars happen, why political leaders act the way they do. This is where the concept of prudence arises. Prudence is the ability of a state to govern themselves by reasoning and caution. If prudence becomes a part of political decisions, what happens to morality?

Building upon Morgenthau's assumption of human nature being egoistic, we see a contrast between the nature of a state and the nature of humans. Morals are present in human nature, and shape the decisions that we make, but for a state, morality is always secondary. The actions of a state are judged not by how moral they are, but by how they affect the states national interest i.e how they maximize power. According to Morgenthau, the circumstance and consequence is vital, not morality.