A Macat Analysis of Hans J. Morgenthau's Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace
Morgenthau’s classic text, published in 1948, not only introduced the concept of political realism, but also established it as the dominant approach in international relations and the guiding philosophy of US foreign policy during the Cold War. In Politics Among Nations, Morgenthau begins with a discussion of the principles that guide political realism. Most important among these are the arguments that: one, there are objective laws that govern politics, rooted in human nature;
and two, the main force driving international politics is the desire of states to accumulate power, relative to other states. Morgenthau discusses the details of the theory in relation to international politics and draws from numerous cases across history.
For more than 60 years, Politics Among Nations has been considered a leading text in international relations, whether its ideas are currently in or out of fashion. It is now in its seventh edition.
