“The Tragedy of the Great Power Politics” is a book written
by John Mearsheimer in 2001 in which he introduces the concept of Offensive Realism
and uses it to explain the past events in the International arena as well as
predict future events based on the predictive capability of the theory.
The Theory which derives some base from the Realism theory
differs from it on some accounts. It is mainly a response to what the author
believes a misguided belief of many that the world has approached a peaceful
phase where the great powers will no longer engage in security competition and
war with each other.
The theory of Offensive Realism see states as power seeking entities
who won’t stop unless they are sure that they are the hegemons in the system.
Hence a balance cannot be achieved in the international system because all
states would constantly aspire to be the hegemonic. While Offensive Realism and Classical
Realism both propagate this view, their reasoning for this is different.
For Human Nature Realism, also known as Classical Realism,
this is so because of the inherent nature of states, much like a man, to
acquire as much power as possible and dominate others. Offensive Realism, on
the other hand, explains seeking more power because of the international system
forcing it in order to maximize its chances of survival and security
.
Comparing Defensive Realism with Offensive Realism, we find
that Defensive Realism predicts the states in a way as to maintain the balance
of power as this is the best way to ensure survival which is the ultimate goal
of all states.
Comparing these theories with the current events around the
world, I see that all the theories do deserve some merit. However one theory
cannot be used to explain all the events around a globe, a limitation, even
Mearsheimer acknowledged.
Good post Ali and I appreciate your attempt to bring in the various permutations of realism (classical, defensive, and offensive - though you skipped structural) into the discussion. Mearsheimer is trying to create a theory with a predictive capacity. Does he succeed? Well that is an open question that theorists, students, and others can debate. But ultimately his book has pushed forward the theoretical boundaries of realism and our understanding of state behavior.
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