Righteous realists: Perceptions of American power and responsibility in the nuclear age
This is a study of the moral and ethical dimensions of political realism in post-World War II America, especially in relation to realist thought on nuclear weapons issues. Emphasis is placed on evolving notions of power and responsibility as they form the basis for a realist philosophy of power in the nuclear age. It is argued that the realists developed a concept of responsible power which was a hybrid of traditional American ideals and European Realpolitik. Included are chapters on the personal and intellectual background of five noteworthy realists, the realist position on some basic dilemmas in political ethics, the problem of usable and unusable force, the realists' view on deterrence and arms control, the question of democracy versus guardianship, and the realists as cultural critics. This study highlights the coherence of realist thought while pointing out the paradoxes upon which it is based. It situates realism in its historical context and reveals realism's relationship to explicit political and cultural values. It concludes that at their core, the realists were moralists; and realism was the entity through which they reconciled morality and power.
- Research Organization:
- Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6957834
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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