This book is the first work to show this iconic legal philosopher's significance as a progressive political realist. In a lively account of Kelsen's life and political thinking, Robert Schuett introduces him as a political realist and brings his thought on human nature, the state and war into productive tension with today's Schmittians and conventional views of foreign policy realism. At a precarious moment in world history, where Western liberal principles are challenged by visions of illiberal democracy at home and abroad, this new reading of the Pure theory of law, state and international legal order is a timely defense of the ideals of an open society through a realistic style of politics.

Political realism is a highly diverse body of international relations theory. This substantial reference work examines political realism in terms of its history, its scientific methodology and its normative role in international affairs. Split into three sections, it covers the 2000-year canon of realism: the different schools of thought, the key thinkers and how it responds to foreign policy challenges faced by individual states and globally. It brings political realism up-to-date by showing where theory has failed to keep up with contemporary problems and suggests how it can be applied and adapted to fit our new, globalised world order.

This book is the first work to show this iconic legal philosopher's significance as a progressive political realist. In a lively account of Kelsen's life and political thinking, Robert Schuett introduces him as a political realist and brings his thought on human nature, the state and war into productive tension with today's Schmittians and conventional views of foreign policy realism.At a precarious moment in world history, where Western liberal principles are challenged by visions of illiberal democracy at home and abroad, this new reading of the Pure theory of law, state and international legal order is a timely defense of the ideals of an open society through a realistic style of politics.

The concept of the state plays a central role in international relations, particularly in realist and neo-realist approaches. Yet, the meaning of the state is persistently taken to be self-evident by both advocates of the sovereign state and its critics. This volume counters this trend. It systematically considers the nature of the state, the concept of sovereignty and the challenges globalisation and cosmopolitanism. Featuring contributions from some of the most reputed theorists of the state, the essays in this collection give you a coherent and, at the same time, distinctively pluralist set of original reflections on the role and nature of the state.