Was E.H. Carr Truly a Realist?

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how E.H. Carr's reputation as an authentic realist is questioned, as many of his arguments are Marxist, functionalist or even idealist in nature. The paper examines the realist tradition and explains the Marxist, functionalist and Utopian aspects of Carr's thought. The paper shows how Carr does fit the fealist profile and deserved his reputation as a realist, although he was also a utopian with a hint of Marxist thought.

From the Paper:

"Classical realism is positivist in its methodology. It stresses the antagonism between states which arises out of a flawed human nature and conflicting national interests. There are five basic assumptions that are the core of the Realist tradition of thought. Firstly, the international system is anarchical, meaning that there is no central authority that supersedes states. Secondly, these sovereign states are the principal actors in the international system and additionally they are rational unitary actors, meaning that they serve their own interests. Fourthly, the overriding national interest is the pursuit of security and finally, relations between states are determined by their comparative levels of power. These five assumptions constitute the basis of realist thinking, therefore any authors that appears to agree with them is generally classified as a realist without any distinctions made. As C. Jones explains, "attempts at generalisation are inimical to scholarship to the extent that they suppress significant distinctions." In this sense, it can be understood that if Carr seems to rest his argument on the same assumptions as listed above, he would be classified as a realist, albeit the fact that his writings also touch upon various other, non-realist assumptions."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Carr, E. H., The Twenty Years' Crisis: An Introduction to the Study of International Relations (London: Macmillan, 1939).
• Morgenthau, H., 'The Political Science of E. H. Carr', World Politics, 1, 1 (1948-49).
• Niebuhr, R., Moral Man and Immoral Society: A Study in Ethics and Politics (Hew York: Scribner, 1932)
• Vincent, R. J., 'The Hobbesian Tradition in Twentieth Century International Thought', Millennium: Journal of International Studies, 10, 2 (1981). .
• Wilson, P., 'E. H. Carr: The Revolutionist's Realist', theglobalsite.ac.uk, December 2000.

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