Resurrecting the Realist Man, Freud, and Human Nature

Schuett, Robert

doi:10.1057/9780230109087_6

Cited by 3 publications

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“…Nationalism to Carr however does not only have a social function, but also a psychological function. Specifically, nationalism serves two psychological drives: the drive for power and social solidarity (Schuett, 2010: 46). ‘Man in society reacts to his fellow men in two opposite ways’ Carr explains, ‘sometimes he displays egoism .…”

Section: Carr On Nationalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

From the Twenty Years’ Crisis to the climate crisis: Reconsidering Carr’s thoughts on nationalism and global reform

Karkour

2023

Journal of International Political Theory

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A recent debate emerged on the possibility of rendering nationalism compatible with addressing the climate crisis. E. H. Carr’s analysis of nationalism and global reform is relevant to this debate. Carr’s analysis highlights a negative relationship between nationalism and peace in the international order; a relationship that extends to, and is exacerbated by, climate change. This analysis is relevant to the contemporary debate on nationalism and climate change in three ways. First, it shows that competition over resources, border control and conflict are likely to increase in the climate age. Second, it explains the failure of UN-led attempts to address the climate crisis. Third, it problematises mid-way solutions to render nationalism compatible with addressing the climate crisis – whether these are realist, liberal institutionalist or green nationalist. Carr’s work however does not simply present a pessimistic outlook on the climate crisis; it also offers a positive lens to think of the crisis as an opportunity. Times of crisis to Carr are times of opportunity for humanity to re-define its sense of purpose. The emergence of issuespecific climate movements and sector-specific green projects is testimony to the presence of this opportunity today to move beyond nationalism, towards multi-scalar identity frameworks.

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Section: Carr On Nationalismmentioning

confidence: 99%

From the Twenty Years’ Crisis to the climate crisis: Reconsidering Carr’s thoughts on nationalism and global reform

Karkour

2023

Journal of International Political Theory

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“…EH Carr's political theory is premised on an account of human nature and moral psychology that emphasises the persistent possibility of irrationality. This conception is largely implicit in The Twenty Years ’ Crisis (1939), Carr's contribution to the realist canon, but is explicitly laid out in his other works (Schuett, 2009). The best way to characterise this conception is as a rough and ready combination of a Freudian vision of the unconscious, a Nietzschean moral psychology, and a Marxist diagnosis of ideological illusion.…”

Section: Realist Diagnosesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Political realism and moral corruption

McQueen

2016

European Journal of Political Theory

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Political realism is frequently criticised as a theoretical tradition that amounts to little more than a rationalisation of the status quo and an apology for power. This paper responds to this criticism by defending three connected claims. First, it acknowledges the moral seriousness of rationalisation, but argues that the problem is hardly particular to political realists. Second, it argues that classical International Relations realists like EH Carr and Hans Morgenthau have a profound awareness of the corrupting effects of rationalisation and see realism as an antidote to this problem. Third, it proposes that Carr and Morgenthau can help us to recognise the particular ways in which realist arguments may nonetheless rationalise existing power relations and affirm the status quo by default, if not by design.

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“…Parallel to Girard’s conception of mimetic rivalry, which illustrates the initiating point of mimetic desire beyond the concern of plain survival, a simple selfishness effort, the early work of Hans Morgenthau points toward the same direction. Trusting Sigmund Freud, he identified two fundamental drives of human nature: the drive for self-preservation (“Selbsterhaltungstrieb”) and the drive to prove oneself (“Bewährungstrieb”) (Morgenthau et al, 2012: 49; Schuett, 2009). The latter is most important for a post-positivist understanding of international relations, helping to bring together structure and individual agency.…”

Section: Mimetic Theory and Realismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Desire for power or the power of desire? Mimetic theory and the heart of twentieth-century realism

Troy

2015

Journal of International Political Theory

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For René Girard, mimetic rivalry is the main cause of violence. Mimetic theory addresses a fundamental problem of international relations theory: the problem of anarchy as it is outlined in basic texts of Realism, also acknowledging the conflicting potential of desire. The article argues for deepening the discussion between the mimetic theory of the French philosopher, anthropologist, and literary theorist Girard and the tradition of twentieth-century Realism as exemplified by Hans Morgenthau, who frequently stressed in his concept of “the political” the importance of the human desire for power. For Girard, the problem of conflicting desire is solved by the scapegoat mechanism, the canalization of mimetic violence. Nevertheless, international relations theory reveals that identity is formed prior to the construction of the Other. I argue that Girard’s insights can enrich thinking about the terms Self, Other, and identity, particularly in the twentieth-century Realist tradition. Ultimately, this leads to the proposition that appreciating Girard’s thoughts helps make implicit claims and assumptions of Realism, particularly regarding violence and sub-state issues, more explicit.

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Resurrecting the Realist Man, Freud, and Human Nature

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

From the Twenty Years’ Crisis to the climate crisis: Reconsidering Carr’s thoughts on nationalism and global reform

From the Twenty Years’ Crisis to the climate crisis: Reconsidering Carr’s thoughts on nationalism and global reform

Political realism and moral corruption

Desire for power or the power of desire? Mimetic theory and the heart of twentieth-century realism

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