Main Tenets of Offensive Realism
The theory is grounded on five central assumptions similar to the ones that lie at the core of Kenneth Waltz' defensive realism. These are:
- Great powers are the main actors in world politics and the international system is anarchical
- All states possess some offensive military capability
- States can never be certain of the intentions of other states
- States have survival as their primary goal
- States are rational actors, capable of coming up with sound strategies that maximize their prospects for survival
Like defensive realism, offensive realism posits an anarchic international system in which rational great powers uncertain of other states’ intentions and capable of military offensive strive to survive. Although initially developed from similar propositions than defensive realism, Mearsheimer’s offensive realism advances drastically different predictions regarding great power behaviour in international politics. Mainly, it diverges from defensive realism in regards to the accumulation of power a state needs to possess to ensure its security and issuing strategy states pursue to meet this satisfactory level of security. Ultimately, Mearsheimer’s offensive realism draws a much more pessimistic picture of international politics characterised by dangerous inter-state security competition likely leading to conflict and war.
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