Roots of Realism

Political realism sees politics as a permanent struggle for power and security. Political realism, when applied to international relations, has sought to explain how states seek to preserve themselves in an environment characterized by anarchy and the always-present threat of aggression. The essays in this volume examine the tradition of realist political analysis of international relations from the Sophists and Thucydides to the modern era. The volume emphasizes both the continuity in realist thinking and the differences among realist thinkers.