Hans Morgenthau’s Realism: Power as the Nemesis of the Nation-State

Abstract

This chapter focuses on Hans Morgenthau. The centrality of power in his work is inseparable from his understanding of politics as tragedy. Based on the anthropological assumption of a lust for power and the tragedy of its inescapability, Morgenthau placed power at the core of his theory. Morgenthau’s account of the nation-state is mainly intuitive since he did not focus on its historical development or pay attention to its careful conceptualisation. Furthermore, the state plays a central role in Morgenthau’s effort to translate the lust for power to international politics meaningfully. Morgenthau was, however, mindful of the limitations power imposed on the nation-state and nationalism. He was also acutely aware of the moral risk posed by the premises of nationalism. Morgenthau focused on such a risk when analysing the foreign policy of great powers. The book discusses two cases. The actual tragedy of Germany and the potential tragedy of the United States.