Neorealism and Its Critics: A Critique

Waltz argued that a speculation concerning international political relationships must ignore the influence of military man nature and instead concentrate upon the international systems involved and the twists which comprised these systems. He believed that systemic structures and forces were the most important explanations of state behavior (pp. 13-14).

check to Waltz, the political structure of a system "defines the arrangement, or the ordering, of the split of a system" (p. 73). In the international system, the parts, or units, be the nation-states. Because these units are not arranged in a hierarchical scheme, as are the units of the states themselves, it is unnecessary to be concerned with the functions performed by the units. The international system is ordered by anarchy: all of the units (states) perform the same functions within the system. The solely differentiation betwixt the structures of the international system is that of the distribution of power. Thus, the only analysis of the structures concerns the capabilities of the states. Waltz' scheme therefore looks at where states stand relative to one another, quite a than at the intrinsic qualities of the states (pp. 98-130).

Neorealism and Its Critics is constructed around Waltz' opening. Chapters 2 through 5 are reprints of chapters in Waltz' own book, Theory of International Politics, explaining his theory. Chapters 6 through 9 are upbraidings of Waltz' theory, progressing from

mild to severe. The author of Chapter 10 looks at the theory and its critics; epoch in Chapter 11, Waltz responds to his critics. The first deprecative essay, that of John Ruggie, argues that Waltz' theory fails to posting for major changes in world politics, since it limits the concept of structure to exclude units (pp. 131-57. The second essay, that of Keohane, argues that Waltz' theory is a starting direct for an international relations theory.

However, Waltz, according to Keohane, does not take into account the contexts within which states exercise power and thus limits too distant the concept of structure (pp. 158-203). Robert Cox also criticizes Waltz for neglecting the routines of homo ideas and practices in effecting change in world politics (pp. 204-54). Richard Ashley's criticism is much stronger. He asserts that neorealism undermines its statist foundation by adopting an atomistic utile epistemology; it further ties positivism to an ideology of its own, accepting the dichotomy surrounded by scientific knowledge and values. Thus, neorealism ignores questions concerning ends (pp. 255-300).

Keohane clearly sides with Waltz in the debate concerning the overall efficacy of neorealism. All but one of the critical essays accept the basic soundness of a neorealist theory; they obviously disagree with Waltz' formulation of such a theory. There is only one essay, that of Ashley, which disagrees with the basic tenets of neorealism. Ashley sides with the argument that neorealism ignores both history and the role of human subjectivity in international relations (pp. 20-21). Keohane, however, seems to apparel
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