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Challenges conventional views of Hans Kelsen and foreign-policy realism in International Relations theoryFocuses on Kelsen as a political thinker and actorIntroduces Kelsen as a political realistShows how Kelsen thought of human nature, the state, and warChallenges today's Schmittians and conventional views of foreign-policy realismHighlights the possibility for progress and peace in a rough worldA lively account of Kelsen's life and political thinkingThis book is the first work to show this iconic legal philosopher's significance as a progressive political realist. In a lively account of Kelsen's life and political thinking, Robert Schuett introduces him as a political realist and brings his thought on human nature, the state and war into productive tension with today's Schmittians and conventional views of foreign policy realism.At a precarious moment in world history, where Western liberal principles are challenged by visions of illiberal democracy at home and abroad, this new reading of the Pure theory of law, state and international legal order is a timely defense of the ideals of an open society through a realistic style of politics

Introduction: The Human Nature Question . - 1. Political Realism and the Strange Death of Human Nature 3. - PART I. IS HUMAN NATURE DEAD?. - 2. Classical Realism on Human Nature and Freud 23. - 3. The Human Nature of Post-Classical Realism 55. - PART II. OUGHT HUMAN NATURE TO BE DEAD?. - 4. Human Nature and the Political: Criticism and Countercriticism 89. - 5. Human Nature, the Political, and the Virtues of Freudian Man 125. - Conclusion: In Defense of Human Nature. - 6. Resurrecting the Realist Man, Freud, and Human Nature 167

In the tradition of political realism, this book provides an important reappraisal of the concept of human nature in contemporary realist international-political theory. With special reference to the anthropology of Sigmund Freud, a consequential yet terribly neglected and underestimated thinker in International Relations, Schuett demonstrates that analytical and normative theorizing of all international-political reality, its nature, tragedies, and potentialities, requires a sophisticated theory of human nature. Developing a Freudian philosophical anthropology for political realism, he argues for the careful resurrection of the concept of human nature in the wider study of international relations.

AbstractDoes the 'Zeitenwende' herald the beginning of a new and as yet undefined open society realism? The present essay argues this question requires critical discussion of nature and value of realist political theory, particularly at a time where international society is accelerating to somewhere which is itself as yet unclear. Adding to revisionist research on political realism in International Relations (IR) theory I sketch how a political vision I call open society realism may be developed out of Classical realism, in sharp distinction to academic IR neorealism for methodological and political reasons. To strip foreign policy realism from Continental philosophy, law, and history risks that we become what political liberalism ought to avoid: a closed society with a good conscience retreating from world politics, hiding behind the 'national' interest as if strategic great power management is a methodic function of structure rather than the politics of an ethically conscious diplomacy.

Transformationalist thinking is plentiful. The Iraq invasion is the latest example of its failure. Is international political reality destined to be the 'realm of recurrence and repetition'? This article delineates a political theory of moderate progress found in Hans Morgenthau's political realism (Realism). Realism recognises the potentiality of transforming international relations, but, warned by its political anthropology, it envisions a distinct philosophy of politics as an effective means for achieving peace. It makes the case for a foreign policy of national security and humility, believing in progress by other means. Based on a renewed engagement with its concepts of the state, national interest and national security, Realism is shown to be critical and progressivist, restrained and realistic. Its nature and structure makes it intellectually incompatible with conservative organicist projects; nor is it reconcilable with radical critical agendas. In search for allies, Realism shows a potential affinity to a moderately Leftist politics and foreign policy.

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- Contributors -- Introduction: The Concept of the State in International Relations -- 1. International Law and Statehood: A Performative View -- 2. The State as a Universe of Discourse -- 3. Sovereignty and the Personality of the State -- 4. The State as Urban Myth: Governance without Government in the Global South -- 5. Decolonising Sovereignty: Globalisation and the Return of Hyper-Sovereignty -- 6. The Concept of the State as a Community of Liability -- 7. From Global Governance to Global Stateness -- 8. Open Societies, Cosmopolitanism and the Kelsenian State as a Safeguard against Nationalism -- Index

The first reference work to explore the 2000-year history of political realism and reassess its place in today's worldDownload an ebook of the chapter abstracts and notes on contributors (pdf)Political realism is a highly diverse body of international relations theory. This substantial reference work examines political realism in terms of its history, its scientific methodology and its normative role in international affairs.Split into three sections, it covers the 2000-year canon of realism: the different schools of thought, the key thinkers and how it responds to foreign policy challenges faced by individual states and globally. It brings political realism up-to-date by showing where theory has failed to keep up with contemporary problems and suggests how it can be applied and adapted to fit our new, globalised world order.Key FeaturesThe first volume to offer a full, balanced guide to Political Realism: its history and its normative role in international affairsCovers the main thinkers, from Thucydides through Niccolò Machiavelli to Isaiah BerlinEngages with the major foreign policy issues of our times, such as strategic deterrence, nationalism, terrorism, cyber security, climate change, the open society and religionConsiders political realism in non-Western contexts, including Israel, Russia and ChinaIncludes political realism's ground-up growth and interpretation outwith Western contextsContributorsUriel Abulof, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.Christopher Adair-Toteff, Zeppelin University, Germany.Erica Benner, Yale University, USA.John Bew, King's College London, UK.Todd Breyfogle, Aspen Institute, Washington, D.C., USA.Joshua Cherniss, Georgetown University, USA.Alan Chong, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore.Lindsay P. Cohn, U.S. Naval War College, USA.Kody W. Cooper, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, USA.Marzieh Kouhi Esfahani, Durham University, UK.Markus Fischer, California State University, Fullerton, USA.Richard Forno, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA.Stuart Gray, Politics at Washington and Lee University, USA.Robert Howse, New York University School of Law, USA.David Martin Jones, University of Queensland, Australia and King's College London, UK.Menno R. Kamminga, University of Groningen, Netherlands.Peter Iver Kaufman, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and University of Richmond, USA.David Kerr, Durham University, UK.Paul Kirkland, Carthage College, Wisconsin, USA.Douglas B. Klusmeyer, American University, Washington, DC, USA.Konstantinos Kostagiannis, University of Maastricht, Netherlands.Ayelet Haimson Lushkov, University of Texas at Austin, USA.Cecelia Lynch, University of California, Irvine, USA.David Mayers, Boston University, USA.Kenneth B. McIntyre, Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, USA.Neville Morley, University of Exeter, UK.John Mueller, Mershon Center for International Security Studies and Ohio State University, USA.Masashi Okuyama, International Geopolitica