John
H. Herz's Political
Realism and Political Idealism: A Study of Theories and
Realities.
First
is given definitions of realism. According to Plato,
realism
is what ought to be, and Machievelli said that realism is
the
political doctrine of expediency.
And
according to Herz, realism is thought which takes into
consideration the
implications
for political life of those security and power factors which
are
inherent
in human society.
These
factors grow out of the security dilemma which flows from
individual's
consciousness
that others are seeking his destruction, and that he must be
continuously
ready to kill them before they kill him.
Therefore,
proponents of the doctrine of realism believe that the chief
interest
of the state is to secure power in order to defend the
state
against any foreseeable threat. They believe that all else, if
necessary,
should
be sacrificed in order to obtain this objective. In other
words, if a nation
following
this doctrine thought that it should wage a preventive war, it
would not
hesitate
to do so.
On
the other hand, political idealism is defined as that type of
political thinking
which
does not recognize the problems
arising
from the security or power dilemma or takes notice of
them
in a perfunctory manner, not concentrating its interest upon
national conditions
or
rational solutions. Thus an extreme idealist would consider
civilian scientific
advancement
more important than military, and would probably not arm his
nation at
all,
due to the fact that if he did so other nations would do
likewise, with the
consequence
of an arms race and possible war. An idealist may give
emphasis to
international
values over the individual state's, following the creed that
nations
are
here and gone, and therefore the long-run objective should be
a stable world.
The
next point of discussion by Wright was to state that a
philosophy which centers
around
a distinction between realism and idealism would seem to have
neither of the
useful
features of providing for a better international order or
making a secure
state,
but would engender lethargy and inaction because it asserts
that ideals are
not
real, or despair because it asserts that reality cannot be
ideal. Therefore, the
policies
to be determined, in the sense of propositions leading to
a state's
probable
action in given circumstances, is a function of both its power
and values,
of
both the means at its disposal and the ends dictated by
its values.
To
be specific, realism must take into consideration for
prediction and control the
ideal
symbols and propaganda men identify themselves, such as
anti-imperialism and
democratic
procedure, no less than armaments, potential and morale. They
should not
over-emphasize
the oppositional nature of nations, which they tend to do.
They
should try to find those areas where nations can meet on
common ground,
because
unless one does this and therefore avoids antagonizing others,
one may find
that all the armament
one can accumulate wouldn't be enough, for other nations may
find it necessary to band together and destroy the power-mad
state.
Idealists, on the other
hand, must not over-emphasize the cooperative aspect. They
should not overlook the fact that power-mad individuals have,
do, or will exist, such as Hitler and Mussolini, and that one
must be ready to defend the interests of the state. One should
not discard adequate armament despite one's hopes for a future
disarmament program. Although one believes that men of
thought can contribute to the development of conditions in
which "the dignity and worth of the human person,"
Justice, and respect for the obligations arising from.
treaties and other sources of international law can be
maintained, and one should not do this with one's eyes closed
to present dangers to the state.
In conclusion,
therefore, one must combine realism with idealism, for all
terms of politics and power (policy, decision and action)
involve both values and conditions, both human purposes
and material instruments, both goals expressed by symbols and
means manifested by procedures, weapons, and propaganda.
One
should not be, too idealistic, for the safety of one's nation
may be jeapordized, and yet one should not be too realistic,
for atomic war could result. And yet perhaps one can say that
a little more realism than idealism is practical, for the
long-run policies of the idealist must be based on future
contingencies which are remote or merely conceived, and can
only be justified by their desirability, until social
scientists make possible pre-diction and control over longer
periods with far more accuracy than they do today. Thus the
known, actual, and present of the realist may tend to
overshadow the desired, remote, and conceptions the idealist,
but still one must agree with this quote of Pascal's:
Justice
without force is impotent. Force without justice is
tyrannical. It is
necessary,
therefore, to unite justice and force and make that which is
just strong
and
that which is strong just.
David C.
Hakim
Pol. Sci. 281
Instr: Dr. Singh
Oct.
31, 1962
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