AI overview
Realism is an international relations theory that argues states are the main actors in global politics and that they act primarily out of self-interest and concern for their own security rather than idealistic principles. It matters because it provides a framework for understanding why countries compete for power, form alliances strategically, and sometimes go to war—offering a perspective that contrasts with more optimistic theories about international cooperation.
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Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince (1532) was a major stimulus to realist thinking.
Realism, in international relations theory, is a theoretical framework that views world politics as an enduring competition among self-interested states vying for power and positioning within an anarchic global system devoid of a centralized authority. It centers on states as rational primary actors navigating a system shaped by power politics, national interest, and a pursuit of security and self-preservation.