Realism Reconsidered: The Legacy of Hans J. Morgenthau in International Relations, Michael C. Williams, ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), 232 pp., $99 cloth, $45 paper.

Sixty years ago Hans Morgenthau published Morgenthau’s realism then met its an- his landmark work, Politics Among Nations, tithesis in American neoconservatism. The which systematized the notion of political neoconservatives were dissatisfied with the realism. In 2005 the book entered its sev- amorality of neorealism, and many viewed enth edition, and it remains one of the most the Clinton administration’s policies as in- widely known and most commonly mis- sufficiently muscular. While in exile from understood texts in the field of international government, they developed a theory of relations. Though Morgenthau’s famous foreign policy that amounted to the exact ‘‘six principles of political realism’’ did not opposite of Morgenthau’s principles. make their first appearance until the second Whereas Morgenthau had cautioned edition in 1954, the book was a rousing suc- against so-called moralism in foreign poli- cess on its original 1948 publication. cy, favoring prudence and a conservative However, with the arrival in 1979 of approach based on the rational pursuit of Kenneth Waltz’s Theory of International interests defined in terms of power, the Politics, Morgenthau’s text was overtaken neoconservatives argued that America had a in the classroom by Waltz’s amoral, and special duty to spread democracy and free- arguably more simplistic, neorealism. dom across the world. Applied in practice, A decade later, the end of the Cold War this rival theory led ostensibly to the Iraq and the start of the so-called American era war, an ironic side effect of which has been led many to a search for a more ‘‘moral’’ to once again increase both scholarly and approach to foreign policy. But as the lay interest in political realism, and in 1990s progressed, this search led not to a Morgenthau’s work and legacy in particular. rediscovery of Morgenthau—whose politi- It is this context that makes Michael cal realism was itself dismissed as cynical Williams’s edited volume, Realism Recon- and amoral—but rather to a resurgence of sidered, particularly timely. The book takes liberalism in international relations, and a critical look at the history of scholarship the further development of constructivist, on Morgenthau’s formulation of political normative, and critical approaches. realism, with an eye toward synthesizing

340 recent books on ethics and international affairs his theories with contemporary topics and Second, the authors argue that Mor- theoretical debates. The chapters examine genthau’s work does not contradict various aspects of Morgenthau’s work, contemporary constructivist international paying special attention not only to Politics relations theories; indeed, they suggest that Among Nations but also to his earlier clas- though Morgenthau would himself likely sic, Scientific Man vs. Power Politics (1946). not have chosen the term, perhaps even Consequently, the book seems best suited his own work has strong constructivist ele- for a reader with at least a passing knowl- ments. Lang goes even further, proposing edge of these texts. ‘‘a reading of Morgenthau that corre- Though not explicitly arranged in this sponds . . . to certain constructivist strands way, the book can be divided into two the- in IR theory,’’ and is ‘‘more attuned to matic sections. The first half primarily dis- critical theory than the realism with which cusses Morgenthau’s theoretical concepts he is so often associated’’ (p. 37). and intellectual history. For instance, The authors generally analyze a particu- Chris Brown and William E. Scheuerman lar aspect of Morgenthau’s thinking, or both author chapters dealing with particular policy or idea to which he re- Morgenthau’s personal and intellectual re- sponded, in order to make a case for a lationship with the controversial German new understanding of his thinking along jurist Carl Schmitt; and Anthony F. Lang, more complicated, often constructivist, Jr., contributes a particularly interest- lines. This method is not surprising con- ing chapter on Aristotle’s influence on sidering that seven of the ten authors are Morgenthau. The second half focuses on based at British universities, where con- Morgenthau’s relationship to specific poli- structivist and critical theories have argu- cies and problems in world politics and ably become the dominant approaches to history. Richard Little offers an analysis of international relations theory. the balance of power in Politics Among Overall, Williams and his contributors Nations; Michael Cox discusses Morgenthau make an exciting and innovative contri- and the purported failure of realism to pre- bution to Morgenthau scholarship. The au- dict the end of the Cold War; and Williams thors use interesting and lesser-known himself offers an excellent discussion of neo- sources, and vivid examples, to show or conservatism and realism. speculate about Morgenthau’s positions on Though the book contains chapters a range of topics. Though there has been written by ten authors, a few common ar- much work on Morgenthau and the prob- guments run throughout. First, the au- lem of international morality, there has not thors note the frequent misrepresentation been a volume that ties Morgenthau so di- of Morgenthau’s realism, which portrays it rectly into constructivist theory, even if here as an amoral or even immoral theoretical the move is accomplished in a subtle way. approach; they argue that Morgenthau is a Reading into and beyond the famous six much more complicated thinker than his principles, Morgenthau’s brand of realism, critics suggest. On this theme, Williams and classical realism more broadly, seem writes that it is a ‘‘remarkably narrow ac- to embody a powerful (if anti-perfection- count [of Morgenthau] that has come to ist) moral sensibility. Indeed, there is a dominate discussions of his realism in IR sense in which classical realism and neo- today’’ (p. 230). conservatism are linked in view of the recent books on ethics and international affairs 341 importance of morality for understanding can most clearly be attributed to dissati- both. Yet while neoconservatism centers sfactions with neorealism and neoconser- on what Michael Oakeshott might have la- vatism, an unexpected side effect has been beled a ‘‘politics of faith,’’ classical realism to open up his work to those who were is an embodiment of a ‘‘politics of skepti- never realists to begin with—con- cism.’’ In recent years, dissatisfaction with structivists, normative scholars, and crit- (insufficiently moral) neorealism and (in- ical theorists—with an enriching effect all correctly moral) neoconservatism has led around. scholars to look elsewhere for moral guid- —JONATHAN CRISTOL ance in world politics, and there has thus been renewed interest in the normative as- The reviewer is Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Studies at Bard College (Annandale, NY) and a doc- pects of Morgenthau’s work. But while the toral candidate in politics at the University of Bristol recent return of Morgenthau to the agenda (UK).

342 recent books on ethics and international affairs