| Shortly after World War II, the optimism that followed the allied victory rapidly dissolved into a new set of threats and fears. A diverse group of American intellectuals gave definition and focus to these new circumstances. The theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr, was called the "father" of them all, that is, the father of American political realism. Is cold war realism still relevant? Some contend that this school of thought is not sufficiently flexible or forward-looking to address today's complexities. Others assert that policymakers need realism's tough-mindedness more than ever to deal with emerging threats. This dissertation steps back from both viewpoints to ask how well we understand realism. To look for answers I have returned to the source--to Reinhold Niebuhr.;I expected to find in Niebuhr a traditional realist. However, a careful account of his writings reveals a set of concerns that runs counter to standard realism--namely, a hardy skepticism for the search for security, a critique of the concepts of the national interest and the balance of power, and a profound recognition of moral considerations with regard to political problems. I call this approach normative realism. The twin purpose of this dissertation is to define normative realism and to suggest its applicability to foreign policy problems.;The first chapter includes a biographical sketch of Reinhold Niebuhr, and reviews selected biographies and interpretations of Niebuhr's political thought. Chapter Two examines his perspective on the human condition, looking specifically at his reflections on sin and the self. Chapter Three discusses Niebuhr's conceptions of justice and democracy. The fourth chapter explores three traditional concerns of postwar realism: balance-of-power theory, the national interest, and the moral question in foreign affairs. Chapter Five examines how Niebuhr wove his concepts of interest, power, and morality into a general theory of international relations, and how he applied it to the international system of the cold war era. Chapter Six critiques normative realism and offers some concluding remarks on how, it might help make sense of America's role in the post-cold war world. |
