Hans Morgenthau's Principles of Political Realism: A Feminist Reformulation

  • Citation: Tickner, J. Ann. "Hans Morgenthau's principles of political realism: A feminist reformulation." Millennium 17.3 (1988): 429-440.
    • Topics:
    • IR Theories
    • Keywords:
    • feminist analysis
    • Hans Morgenthau’s six principles of political realism
    • bias
    • power
    • international system

This chapter presents a feminist analysis of Hans Morgenthau’s six principles of political realism, which, the author claims, exhibit a masculine bias. It argues that realism is not an inaccurate portrayal of the international system but an incomplete one that is a partial picture of reality. The chapter offers a broader definition of power, which includes power as mutual enablement. It claims that cooperation, as well as conflict, is also a feature of the international system. The chapter concludes with a feminist reformulation of Morgenthau’s six principals.

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