... point toward the need for co-operation. Realism in all of its forms emphasizes the continuities of the human condition, particularly at the international level. Classical realists tended to find the source of these continuities in the permanence of human nature as reflected in the political construction of states. Neo-realists find them in the anarchic structure of the international system, which they see as the historically enduring force that shapes the behaviour and construction of states. On the basis of these continuities, realists see power as the driving force in all political life. Their analytical focus is on the group rather than on the individual, and because it commands power most effectively, the key human group is the state. According to realists, relations with states are power driven and the anarchic structure of the international system provides few constraints on the use of power. Therefore realism emphasizes the competitive and conflictual ...

See this essay or coursework document in full right now