Власть и насилие в реализме Ганса Моргентау

Социологическое обозрение. 2019. Т. 18. № 4. С. 320–333.

Kucherenko S.

The development of political realism found mainly in English works determined the fact that
the term “power” denotes a wide range of concepts which at times turn out to be contradictory.
Among the deepest problems is the relation of the concept of political power (authority) and
power as the capability to coerce (might). The realism studies of recent decades are aimed to
criticize the perceived neorealist misinterpretation of power as a material capability. The figure
of Hans J. Morgenthau, an acknowledged founder of the realist school of thought in IR, is used
by the critics to redefine power and to criticize neorealism as “unfaithful to its origin.” This article
analyzes the attempt to reinterpret Morgenthau’s concept of power with the help of Arendt’s
notion of power. This re-interpretation results in the splitting of Morgenthau’s understanding
of power into two concepts, one of which is devoid of violence and coercion. The author claims
that Morgenathau’s notion of power is essentially violent, and therefore cannot be split into two
on such grounds. An attempt to create a non-violent concept of power within Morgenthau’s
theoretical framework results in the loss of the critical potential of his project of political realism.
Keywords: power, violence, Morgenthau, Arendt, realism studies

Keywords: власть, легитимность, насилие, power, violence, политический реализм, Ханна Арендт, Hannah Arendt, political realism, Hans Morgenthau, Ганс Моргентау