Books by Schmidt, C Brian
Papers by Schmidt, C Brian
Handbook of Military Sciences, 2021
Realism is generally seen as one of the most influential theories of international politics. Mili... more Realism is generally seen as one of the most influential theories of international politics. Military and foreign policy officials adhere to the apparent timeless insights of realism. They stress the importance of power, especially military power, and the need to ensure the survival and security of the state. Ontologically, realism depicts a hostile world of power-seeking states. Some realists explain this in terms of human nature while others emphasize the anarchical structure of international politics. The chapter begins with a brief overview of the development of realist theory from Thucydides, who was an Athenian military official, to the present day. The next section explains the various epistemological, methodological, and ontological positions that realists hold. Next, the common elements that comprise the essence of realism will be identified: rationality, statism, survival, and self-help (the three S’s). In the third section, the differences between two variants of realist ...
Foreword Michael Cox 1. Introduction Brian Schmidt 2. The Myth of the 'First Great Debate'... more Foreword Michael Cox 1. Introduction Brian Schmidt 2. The Myth of the 'First Great Debate' Peter Wilson 3. Rereading Early Twentieth-Century IR Theory Andreas Osiander 4. Did the Realist-Idealist Great Debate Really Happen? Luke Ashworth 5. C.A.W. Manning and the First Great Debate David Long 6. The American National Interest Great Debate Brian Schmidt 7. Myth, Half-Truth, Reality or Strategy? Cameron Thies 8. Where are we now in the Debate about the First Great Debate? Peter Wilson
The Globalization of World Politics
This chapter examines the claim that realism offers the most powerful explanation for the state o... more This chapter examines the claim that realism offers the most powerful explanation for the state of war that is the regular condition of life in the international system. It first provides an overview of the theory of realism before discussing whether there is one realism or a variety of realisms. It argues that despite some important differences, all realist theories share a set of core assumptions and ideas. It goes on to consider these common elements, namely self-help, statism, and survival. The chapter concludes with an analysis of the extent to which realism is relevant for understanding the globalization of world politics. To illustrate the main ideas tackled in this chapter, two case studies are presented: one relating to the Melian dialogue and the other to strategic partnerships with ‘friendly’ dictators. There is also an Opposing Opinions box that asks whether U.S. hegemony is durable or fleeting.
Historiographical Investigations in International Relations, 2018
This chapter provides a comprehensive assessment of one of the core debates among those who are e... more This chapter provides a comprehensive assessment of one of the core debates among those who are engaged in disciplinary history. The debate pits those who accentuate internal versus external factors in accounting for the development of an academic discipline. Those who accentuate internal factors look inside a discipline—at its discourse—to understand how and why a field has developed in a particular way. Those who accentuate external factors examine an array of contextual variables that impact the development of a field. The chapter seeks to overcome the divide that has pitted internalists against externalists.
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies, 2017
A significant development in the history of international relations (IR) is the increased focus o... more A significant development in the history of international relations (IR) is the increased focus on historiographical issues. Prior to 1998, the literature had, for the most part, failed to address adequately the question of how to write a history of the field. The tendency was to describe the history of IR as if a complete consensus existed on the essential dimensions of the field’s evolution. However, during the past 10 years (1998–2008) a wealth of new literature has appeared that greatly challenges much of the conventional wisdom regarding the development of IR. Three main thematic issues have been prominent in the literature. The first theme concerns the status of IR as an academic field or discipline. For various reasons, there has been a repeated questioning of whether IR is in fact a distinctive discipline. A second theme is the issue of whether the boundaries of IR should be demarcated in terms of one particular country (the United States) or whether it should be viewed as a...
Mershon International Studies Review, 1997
Handbook of International Relations
The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 2002
This state of the discipline article discusses a body of recent literature that seeks to reunite ... more This state of the discipline article discusses a body of recent literature that seeks to reunite political theory and international relations theory. It briefly explores some of the factors and explanations that led to a divorce between the sub-fields of PT and IR. The article proceeds to review work that seeks to bridge the dichotomy that came to define the relationship between these two academic fields of study. By examining literature in the area of normative theory, democratic theory and that falling under the rubric of identity and difference, the article attempts to demonstrate that an effort is under way to reunite political theory and international relations theory.
The International Journal of Human Rights, 2004
On the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide there is a remarkable degree of consensus among ... more On the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide there is a remarkable degree of consensus among both humanitarian liberals and hard-nosed realists that the failure to intervene and stop the bloodshed in Rwanda represents nothing short of a moral crime. But while there is widespread agreement that a moral crime was committed, there is less of a consensus on the question of who should be held responsible. Obviously many hold prominent individuals in the government of Rwanda responsible for the massacre. Some have argued that both France and the United States are particularly culpable for their actions, and in the case of the latter, their inaction. Still others hold the United Nations as an institution responsible for the failure to prevent one of the greatest tragedies of the twentieth century. There does appear to be a peculiar penchant on the part of many international affairs analysts and journalists to highlight every instance when the actions of the United Nations result in failure. Unfortunately for the United Nations, its purposes and principles are so broad and lofty that success is, to a certain degree, unattainable. According to the Charter, the purpose of the United Nations is to ‘maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples; to achieve international co-operation in solving international problems and promoting and encouraging respect for human rights; and to be a centre for harmonising the actions of nations’. Not only are these purposes and principles nearly impossible to achieve, but there is a tendency for the most intractable problems and issues to be dumped at the front door of the United Nations. The most recent example of this is that after circumventing the UN Security Council in the rush to remove Saddam Hussein from power because of his alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction, which ironically enough is frequently viewed as another instance of ‘UN failure’, the United States is now pressing the UN to play a larger role in stabilising and rebuilding Iraq. Obviously the United States is finding the task of rebuilding Iraq to be much more difficult and complicated than the task of defeating it in war. If the United Nations does indeed come to play a much larger role in the reconstruction of Iraq, this will create the conditions for yet another possible example of ‘UN failure’. International Journal of Human Rights Vol. 8, No. 4, pp. 491–501, Winter 2004
Reviews in Anthropology, 2001
... 106 Brian C. Schmidt ... In recent years, a growing body of literature has emerged which argu... more ... 106 Brian C. Schmidt ... In recent years, a growing body of literature has emerged which argues that there is much more to realism than what has typically been ... It is now beginning to be recognized that there are a range, or variety, of realisms (Doyle 1997; Dunne and Schmidt forth ...
Review of International Studies, 2004
In 1948, Hans J. Morgenthau wrote his classic text, Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Powe... more In 1948, Hans J. Morgenthau wrote his classic text, Politics Among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace, that was largely responsible for establishing realism as the prevailing theory in the field of International Relations (IR). In 1979, Kenneth N. Waltz wrote an immensely influential book, Theory of International Politics, that resulted in a new structural version of realism – neorealism – becoming the dominant theory in IR. John J. Mearsheimer, who is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, has written a profoundly important book that rightfully deserves a prominent place along with Morgenthau and Waltz in the canon of realist thought about international politics. Mearsheimer's clearly written book puts forth a new structural theory of realism that he terms offensive realism. This version of realism argues that the observable patterns of behaviour among all of the great powers throughout history, most not...
Millennium - Journal of International Studies, 1992
Journal of International Relations and Development, 2005
Debates over realism seem endless. The neoliberal tenor of the decade ending with September 2001 ... more Debates over realism seem endless. The neoliberal tenor of the decade ending with September 2001 has given way to another popular revival of conventional realism, as if that paradigm were once again the only true reflection of world politics. This resurgence, however, is best considered within the context of longer-term debates over realism and its spin-off, neorealism: their accuracy, applicability, and-some would say-morality. This article asks how and why a paradigm that has been incessantly attacked has survived. It argues that, to answer these questions, one must look beyond issues of internal theoretical consistency to the historical context within which structural realism has unfolded. In addition, one must entertain the possibility that the incessant focus on internal theoretical debates downplays both the results of empirical research and the personal prejudices or worldviews that ultimately may underlie preferences for models. Much of the discussion revolves around Kenneth Waltz's Theory of International Politics (TIP), a central focus of the debate, but also assesses implications from other studies thought to be extensions of neorealism and TIP. We conclude that progress in international relations (IR) and IR theory ultimately requires less energy being spent on the broad paradigmatic debates, and more effort being dedicated to evaluating what empirical investigations can contribute as well as recognizing what lies outside their domain.
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Books by Schmidt, C Brian
Papers by Schmidt, C Brian