Defensive realism
Encyclopedia
In international relations
, defensive realism is a variant of political realism. Defensive realism looks at states as rational players who are the primary actors in world affairs. Defensive realism predicts that anarchy on the world stage causes states to become obsessed with security. This results in security dilemma
s wherein one state's drive to increase its security can, because security is zero sum, result in greater instability as that state's opponent(s) respond to their resulting reductions in security.
Among defensive realism's most prominent theories is that of offense-defensive theory which states that there is an inherent balance in technology, geography, and doctrine that favors either the attacker or defender in battle. Offense-Defense theory tries to explain the First World War as a situation in which all sides believed the balance favored the offense but were mistaken.
Defensive structural realists break with the other main branch of structural realism, offensive realism
, over whether or not states must always be maximizing relative power ahead of all other objectives. While the offensive realist believes this to be the case, some defensive realists believe that the offense-defense balance can favor the defender, creating the possibility that a state may achieve security. A second-strike capable nuclear arsenal is often understood to indicate the supremacy of the defense in the offense-defense balance, essentially guaranteeing security for the state which possesses it. Yet in a multi-polar world a second strike capability does not provide the same guarantee's that it did during the bi-polar Cold War period. Some defensive realists also differ from their offensive counterparts in their belief that states may signal their intentions to one another. If a state can communicate that its intentions are benign to another state, than the security dilemma may be overcome. Finally, many defensive realists believe that domestic politics can influence a state's foreign policy; offensive realists tend to treat states as black box
es.
In modern times, several economic and political groups are known to benefit from the effects Defensive Realism, in terms of both the economic activity generated in delivering the resources or technology needed to increase a particular state's own security, as well as the positive feedback
effect caused by the perceived destabilization to an opponents own security by comparative observation.
Prominent defensive realists include Stephen Walt
, Kenneth Waltz
, Stephen Van Evera
, and Charles Glaser.
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
, defensive realism is a variant of political realism. Defensive realism looks at states as rational players who are the primary actors in world affairs. Defensive realism predicts that anarchy on the world stage causes states to become obsessed with security. This results in security dilemma
Security dilemma
The security dilemma asserts that both strength and weakness in national security can be provocative to other nations. If a nation is too strong, this can be provocative since “most means of self-protection simultaneously menace others.” On the other hand, if a nation is too weak, “great dangers...
s wherein one state's drive to increase its security can, because security is zero sum, result in greater instability as that state's opponent(s) respond to their resulting reductions in security.
Among defensive realism's most prominent theories is that of offense-defensive theory which states that there is an inherent balance in technology, geography, and doctrine that favors either the attacker or defender in battle. Offense-Defense theory tries to explain the First World War as a situation in which all sides believed the balance favored the offense but were mistaken.
Defensive structural realists break with the other main branch of structural realism, offensive realism
Offensive realism
In international relations, offensive realism is a variant of political realism. Like realism, offensive realism regards states as the primary actors in international relations. However, offensive realism adds several additional assumptions to the framework of structural realism...
, over whether or not states must always be maximizing relative power ahead of all other objectives. While the offensive realist believes this to be the case, some defensive realists believe that the offense-defense balance can favor the defender, creating the possibility that a state may achieve security. A second-strike capable nuclear arsenal is often understood to indicate the supremacy of the defense in the offense-defense balance, essentially guaranteeing security for the state which possesses it. Yet in a multi-polar world a second strike capability does not provide the same guarantee's that it did during the bi-polar Cold War period. Some defensive realists also differ from their offensive counterparts in their belief that states may signal their intentions to one another. If a state can communicate that its intentions are benign to another state, than the security dilemma may be overcome. Finally, many defensive realists believe that domestic politics can influence a state's foreign policy; offensive realists tend to treat states as black box
Black box
A black box is a device, object, or system whose inner workings are unknown; only the input, transfer, and output are known characteristics.The term black box can also refer to:-In science and technology:*Black box theory, a philosophical theory...
es.
In modern times, several economic and political groups are known to benefit from the effects Defensive Realism, in terms of both the economic activity generated in delivering the resources or technology needed to increase a particular state's own security, as well as the positive feedback
Positive feedback
Positive feedback is a process in which the effects of a small disturbance on a system include an increase in the magnitude of the perturbation. That is, A produces more of B which in turn produces more of A. In contrast, a system that responds to a perturbation in a way that reduces its effect is...
effect caused by the perceived destabilization to an opponents own security by comparative observation.
Prominent defensive realists include Stephen Walt
Stephen Walt
Stephen Martin Walt is a professor of international affairs at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. Among his most prominent works are and . He coauthored The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy with John Mearsheimer.-Education and career:In 1983, he received a Ph.D. in...
, Kenneth Waltz
Kenneth Waltz
Kenneth Neal Waltz is a member of the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University and one of the most prominent scholars of international relations alive today...
, Stephen Van Evera
Stephen Van Evera
Stephen William Van Evera is a professor of Political Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, specializing in International Relations. His research includes the U.S. foreign and national security policy and causes and prevention of war.-Biography:Van Evera received his A.B. in...
, and Charles Glaser.