Neoclassical realist theory of international politics
Vikash Chandra is Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Dr B.R. Ambedkar Government Degree College, Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh, India read more
Volume:41
Issue:3
Book Review
In the mid-1990s, Colin Elman cited a maxim horses for courses meaning ‘every horse is suited to a particular course’ to underscore the inherent weakness of neorealist theories in that they ‘cannot be used as theories of foreign policy’. In response, Kenneth Waltz had unequivocally admitted the weakness: ‘My old horse (Neorealism) cannot run the course and will lose if it tries.’ But since then, discourse in International Relations (IR) theory has entered a new phase. Even within the realpolitik framework, attempts have been made to develop a realist theory of foreign policy, though under a new banner called neoclassical realism.
