Morgenthau / Key Contemporary Thinkers (ePub)

The ideas of Hans Morgenthau dominated the study of international
politics in the United States for many decades. He was the leading
representative of Realist international relations theory in the
last century and his work remains hugely influential in the field.
In this engaging and accessible new study of his work, William E.
Scheuerman provides a comprehensive and illuminating introduction
to Morgenthau's ideas, and assesses their significance for
political theory and international politics.

Scheuerman shows Morgenthau to be an uneasy Realist,
uncomfortable with conventional notions of Realism and sometimes
unsure whether his reflections should be grouped under its rubric.
He was a powerful critic of the existing state system and defended
the idea of a world state. By highlighting Morgenthau's
engagement with the leading lights of European political and legal
theory, Scheuerman argues that he developed a morally demanding
political ethics and an astute diagnosis of the unprecedented
perils posed by nuclear weaponry. Believing that the
irrationalities of US foreign policy were rooted partly in domestic
factors, he sympathized with demands for radical political and
social change. Scheuerman illustrates that Morgenthau's
thinking has been widely misunderstood by both disciples and
critics and that it offers many challenges to contemporary Realists
who discount his normative aspirations. With the advent of the
cosmopolitan goal of international reform, Morgenthau's work
serves up an unsettling mix of sympathy and hard-headed skepticism
which remains crucially important in the development of the
field.

Lucidly and persuasively written, this book will be a valuable
resource for students and scholars seeking to understand the
continued importance of Morgenthau's thinking.