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Politics Among Nations, Brief Edition

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I was taught politics initially by a professor from the University of Chicago who studied under Han J. Morgenthau, who used Morgenthau's book, Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace as his primary text. Later, when I taught politics, I found that this text was a bit too advanced for the calibre of beginning undergraduate students (my, how the standards, they slippeth...) but was useful for a third-year course in international relations.

This book is heavy in history and philosophy as well as a more 'pure' political science; these are not disconnected subjects, and should not be treated as such. Morgenthau was one of the giants of international thought, having trained many (directly or through texts) of the last generation of political scientists, who rarely have a neutral opinion on Morgenthau. Very much an adherent of the Real Politick, and addresses the question of framework and theory at the beginning of the text:

Morgenthau, throughout this work, strives to work against the idea that international politics in particular, and politics more generally, can be derived simply from philosophical or abstract points, and must be grounded in the imperfect and very human dealings at hand. He outlines six principles which guide this political realism:

1. There are objective laws that govern politics, rooted in human nature.
2. The main force driving international politics is the concept of interest defined in terms of power.
3. This key concept is universally valid and objective, but does not have the same meaning fixed once and for all.
4. Political realism is aware of the moral significance of political action.
5. Political realism refuses to equate the moral principles of any given nation or time with the overall moral laws that govern the universe.
6. Political realism maintains a separation and integrity of intellectual substance, while recognising other frameworks and the inter-relatedness of politics with other fields.

Morgenthau goes through a lengthy discussion of these principles as the underpinning of his theories, before embarking on the 'nitty-gritty' of international politics. He includes an essay on scientific methodology as it applies to politics, and the limitations of this methodology.

Morgenthau then proceeds to discuss politics under the following broad headings:

- International Politics as a Struggle for Power
This includes a look at political power, imperialism in different guises, status quo issues, prestige, and political ideologies. Take imperialism as an example: Morgenthau examines the reasons for imperialistic tendencies (victorious war, lost war, and weakness, perceived or real); the ultimate goals of imperialism (which could be global empire and hegemony, continental empire, or merely local preponderance); and the differing methods of imperialism (military, economic, cultural).

- National Power
In this section, Morgenthau discusses military, political, population, national morale, natural resource, and quality of government issues to determine national power structures, and examines the problems attendant with nationalism. He also discusses the typical errors of political analysis, those of mistaking the absolute character of power, the permanent character of power, and the fallacy of single factors (geopolitics, nationalism, militarism, etc. in isolation).

- Limitations of National Power: Balance of Power
- Limitations of National Power: International Morality and World Public Opinion
- Limitations of National Power: International Law
Morgenthau proceeds to discuss in these sections the various factors which hold nations in check. The first section encompasses balance of power issues, including models of competition and direct opposition; different methods of balance of power; and the uncertainties and unrealities of balances of power. The next section discusses the strength of philosophical underpinnings and morality as a deterrent, as well as the tension between personal and political morality, national and international morality, and universal moralism and nationalistic universalism. The final section here discusses legislative, judicial, and enforcement aspects of international law, and the limitations of international law due to sovereignty issues, as well as executive limitations.

- International Politics in the Contemporary World
For this section, we have to rely mostly on Kenneth Thompson's reconstruction of Morgenthau's thought, given the necessity for updates. The issues discussed earlier are brought into relief as a framework for discussion of balance of power, the disappearance of colonialism, the relative declines of the established powers, and the issues surrounding the century in which total war has become the standard.

- The Problem of Peace: Peace through Limitation
- The Problem of Peace: Peace through Transformation
- The Problem of Peace: Peace through Accommodation
These three final sections examine issues such as disarmament, security and international policing, judicial settlements, alliances (looking at the successes and failures of past alliances and organisations), culminating in a candid discussion of the United Nations, both in theoretical (charter) terms and actual practice. Transformative issues include possibilities of world statism, world communalism, and interlocking spheres of cooperation and unity. The final section deals with diplomacy, as both a real and a declining force in politics today.

Morgenthau is as likely to pull an example from Thucydides as he is from World War II. This makes this a difficult book for the typical undergraduate, who today does not have the historical frame of reference to appreciate such examples. Morgenthau's reasoning is subtle and elegant, and still of great influence today. One might count the likes of Kissinger and Thatcher among those who would generally adhere to Morgenthau's thesis.

Not at all for the faint hearted, but a text that will yield treasure to the bold who would explore a text that is indeed formative of much of diplomatic and political thought from the 1940s through the 1980s, hence having an impact on events and organisations still important today.

If you've ever studied foreign policy or international affairs, you're familiar with the ideas and theories of Hans Morganthau, even if you don't realize it. He defined power for this field (no, really-- his definition of power is the accepted standard in the field), and much of modern international affairs theory is based on his ideas. This book is written as a textbook, but a rather readable one. For serious students of international affairs, much of the contents of the book may seem like a review, but I still found several ideas that were new to me. For beginners or those who simply wish to increase their knowledge of world politics, this book may seem like a somewhat dense read, but it will teach you 90% of modern international affairs theory. Well worth the money and the effort.

Hans Morgenthau is, together with E.H.Carr, among the key 20th century thinkers who studied international relations and developed what is today called classical realism (as opposed to structural- or neo-realism - see Kenneth Waltz). Classical realism claims an ancient ancestry beginning with the History of the Peloponesian War by Thucydides, and including thinkers like Maciaveli and Clausewitz, as well as Ralf Niebur. Briefly, the proponents of this line of thinking claim that 1) states are the only actors of significance in international relations; 2) that because there is no single world government, international relations are characterized by self-help- if states wish to survive they should ever be ready for war; 3) 'power' in this sense becomes both a means (to survival) and an end in itself -- states struggle to aggrandize their power; 4) because of all this, international relations are primarily a realm of conflict, not cooperation; 5) this sorry state of affairs stems from the evil nature of man which is essentially unchangeable (see St. Augustine, City of God, for a forceful argument in this vein). Given all this, Morgenthau claims that any politician who does not take the above points seriously is acting under dangerous delusions. Because most statesmen do act in this way, he, says, reading his book will allow the reader to be able 'to look over the shoulder' of any leader and understand their decisions. Whether one agrees or not with these views, the book is indispensible for any serious student of international politics. For further interest one may wish to read both scholars who have advanced the realist tradition in international relations in new directions (see esp. Kenneth Waltz, Theory of International Politics; Robert Jervis, Perception and Misperception..., and System Effects; Jack Snyder, Myths of Empire; and Michael Doyle, Ways of War and Peace) and critics of this tradition (esp. Robert Keohane, Neorealism and Its Critics, After Hegemony, and (with J.Nye) Power and Interdependence, as well as David Baldwin, ed., Neorealism and Neoliberalism). I admit that the book is densely written, but with the right roadmap, it is an enjoyable read. In fact, if you wish to find it even more useful, you may begin with E.H.Carr, The Twenty Years' Crisis, which is elegantly written, a real pleasure to read, and which is a very clear statement of the main arguments of realism.

Forget about the clowns on cable television news shows that are always yelling at each (no matter what their and your politics are).

Forget about Oprah, Dr. Phil, Maureen Dowd (even though she's always very sultry), Noam Chomsky, etc. Forget about Rush Limbaugh, the Christian Coalition, the lunatic professor in Colorado (whatever his name is). Most of all, forget about Tom Friedman (author/NYT columnist -- read my review on THE WORLD IS FLAT for my views on him).

Do you want to know HOW the world works in terms of international relations? Read this book.

Do you want to know WHY it works that way? Read this book.

The concepts and ideas in this book cover the fundamentals, but it doesn't just gloss over them... it covers them in detail and from all angles... and, by doing so, the reader will get a clearer and firmer understanding of current events, governmments' actions and non-actions, etc.

Why does this book continue to endure in value? Because it focuses on the fundamentals of action/non-action and the reasons "why." It is NOT about the flavor-of-the-month topic. It's a no-nonsense book and comes with serious analyses, thoughts, theories, conclusions and arguments.

I'd recommend this book to readers of all stripes, whether you're a pacifist, lunatic fringe, status quo conservative, environmentalist, obsessed with human or animal rights (or both), etc.

After you read this book, you'll never watch the news channels or read the paper the same way ever again.

The "old testament":

1- Politics Among Nations (Morgenthau)
2- On War (Clausewitz)
3- The Federalist Papers (Hamilton, Madison, Jay)
4- The Prince and The Discourses (Machiavelli)
5- The Twenty Years' Crisis (Carr)

Forget about this book if it matters for you to have happy endings at movies; but ignore it at your own peril. Morgenthau has captured the essence of political realism many times over in this book. His calm, controlled and authoritative exposition of the power relations between states makes "Politics Among Nations" one of the best "non-fiction" publications of the century. For the academically minded it is an easy read, for a student of political realism a must.

This book was a "standard" for any International Relations Major in the 1970's or 80's, despite the fact that the first printing was in 1948. Don't expect this book to go into an in depth analysis of any current facts, because it doesn't. But the six rules of Political Realisim seem to apply as well today (in 1998) as they did when I originally read it, in 1985. If you are in college taking international relations courses, and haven't read this book, buy it and read it yourself, trust me, it will help you make sense of everything else, and it might just impress a professor or two.

I was assigned this book and I must say it is one of the few I read and actually enjoyed, clear and to the point it serves as a perfect primer of the system that exists today. Although over 50 years old, it still holds true in all aspects.

Hans Morgenthau is the "Iching" of all international relations authors. He sets the precedents for all future relations with his analysis of the political environment throughout the world. He discusses the status quo, imperialism, neo-realism, moralism, diplomacy, disarmament, international governments, universalism, etc... This book is definitely a must read for any student intending on success in international relations.

This is an essential read for anyone who wants a deeper understand of American foreign policy. A year after this book was published, there were over a hundred reviews. Regardless of whiether one disagrees or agrees with the author, finds the author right or wrong, interesting or boring, this book is one of the most influential books, if not the most influential book that affected American foreign policy. In fact, the current Bush Adminstration's policies, George Kenan's containment, Henry Kissinger's policies as well as countless adminstration's policies are shaped or affected by this book. My area of study is the foreign policy of Post World War Two American governments, and never have I understood it with greater clarity after I read this book. It is the thread which runs through the policies of all the administrations, differing on extent. (I studied the policies first and read the book the year after). It is a fascinating book and hard to put down. The author writes in a European style (beautiful long sentences,etc.), which in my opinion makes it more eloquent and in the opinion of my co-students makes it more difficut to read. He tries to give a balanced perspective from which one can think critically. Ms. Rice and Mr. Kissinger were heavily influenced by this book. To understand them, this is a must read. In and of itself, it is an excellent book, a classic, and thousands others significantly more qualified than I have reviewed it. Look even at other reviews on this website or at well known journals for a more accurate assement of the book itself by political scientists.

When Hans Morgenthau's now-classic work first appeared in 1948, it put forth a "Realist" theory of international politics and quickly became the most influential book on the subject. Its success was due to the fact that it explained what international relations was about: A struggle for power among sovereign states in an anarchic world. Ideology, religion, and morality all played secondary roles in this struggle, and in fact served as useful covers for a government's true goal of obtaining more power. For a realist, the national interest was defined in terms of acquiring more power. The drive for power was seen as ingrained in states as it was in human nature. Since national power was such a central part of his concept, Morgenthau detailed the elements of state power. Morgenthau then went on to explain the limitations on national power, the main limitation being states balancing against each other through alliances. Nor did Morgenthau ignore ethics, noting international conventions on the protection of human life in war and peace. Turning to the question of how peace could be achieved, Morgenthau argued the anarchic international system made peace impossible through disarmament, collective security international government, international law, or cultural ties, since the conditions that create peace in domestic society do not exist in international society. Morgethau believed the best way to limit war was through the judicious use of diplomacy; Its use could not prevent all wars, but at least a few. "Politics Among Nations" was well-written and accesible to most audiences. Morgenthau used historical examples and quotes from statesman and philosophers to buttress his claims.

"Politics Among Nations" began to be supplanted as the primary realist work in 1979 with the publication of Kenneth Waltz "Theory of International Politics." Waltz tried to use a more scientific approach to the study on international affairs. Gone were quaint anecdotes, replaced by rigor and methodology. Waltz main improvement on Morgenthau's work was the explanation of the importance of anarchy in international relations: Anarchy forces states to protect themselves. Waltz didn't see states as quite as aggressive as Morgenthau did, however. A third major work on international relations was published by John Mearsheimer in 2001. In "The Tragedy of Great Power Politics," Mearsheimer essentially squared Morgenthau and Waltz's theories. Like Morgenthau, Mearsheimer argued that states seek as much power as they can get, and backed up his claim with impressive historical evidence. But Morgenthau's theory had missed a major component: He didn't really explain exactly why states seek hegemony, just that they did. This is where Mearsheimer filled in Waltz contribution: Anarchy forces states to seek not just security, but as much power as they can get to maintain their security. Both Waltz and Mearsheimer acknowledged their debt to Morgenthau.

It can no longer be said that "Politics Among Nations" is the premiere text in international politics, as the preface claims. But it is still one of the most important books ever written on the subject, an excellent guide to the bewildering world of international politics. Moreover, since Morgenthau's death, it has been revised and updated by Morgenthau's able pupil, Kenneth W. Thompson. Morgenthau's clarity of though, accessible writing style, and humanity will never be outdated, even if a couple of his concepts are.