Realism and reflexivity: Morgenthau, academic freedom and dissent

Abstract

Primarily known as a pioneer of International Relations (IR) theory, Hans Morgenthau also wrote on a series of other political themes. Especially prominent in his later career is a concern with the right and duty of a theorist to exercise academic freedom as a critic of government power and, especially in this particular case, of US foreign policy. For Morgenthau the responsibility to hold governments to account by reference to the ‘higher laws’ that underpin and legitimize democracy in its truest form was a key function of the theorist in society. Dissensus and healthy debate characterize genuine democracy for Morgenthau who was perturbed by what he perceived to be a worrying concern with conformity and consensus among the political and academic elites of Vietnam War era America. This article investigates the theoretical and philosophical commitments that explain why Morgenthau felt compelled to oppose the government of his adopted state and the consequences of his having done so. For all the vicissitudes he endured, Morgenthau ultimately emerged vindicated from his clash with the political elite and his experience serves as an exemplary case of the effective use of academic freedom to oppose government policy by means of balanced, judicious critique. In the final section I argue that Morgenthau’s approach to theory, theorization and the role of the intellectual in society provides valuable insights into the nature of reflexivity in IR that are of relevance to contemporary debates in the discipline.

Bringing Morgenthau’s ethics in: pluralism, incommensurability and the turn from fragmentation to dialogue in IR

“…For the closer this theory got to power, the less it became committed to truth, particularly in the context of Vietnam. ‘Morgenthau’s political agenda during the Vietnam War’ as Molloy (2019: 16) lately argued in this journal, thus ‘fulfils this most primary goal of a reflexive approach, i.e. a theorist’s commitment to understanding his/her role within the context of the production of knowledge and the implications of that knowledge within the social and political realms’.…”

Understanding Political Realism

“…Its primary purpose is to minimize evil as far as possible, not to create absolute good. With such a philosophical background, Morgenthau compiled and proposed a theory of political realism which, according to him, is "a theory that is related to human nature as it is and with historical processes as it happens (Amstrup, 1978;Bain, 2000;Behr & Heath, 2009;Cristol, 2009;Gellman, 2016;Good, 1960;Levine, 2013;Molloy, 2004Molloy, , 2020Murray, 1996;Rösch, 2013;Tambunan, 2010;Tucker, 1952;Williams, 2004;Wong, 2000). In summary, without being wordy and with a systematic explanation, Morgenthau proposes his theory of political realism built on six principles, which according to him, are more often misunderstood than well understood (Cristol, 2009).…”

The realist science of politics: the art of understanding political practice

“…Second, questions about Realism’s and practice theory’s take on science and practice are questions of reflexivity (e.g. Hom and Steele, 2010; Molloy, 2020). These questions are relevant, particularly whether or not the discipline can or should bridge the theory–practice gap and how (e.g.…”