Concept of the National Interest in Foreign Policy

In his discussion of the national interest, international relations theorist Waltz states "to say that a state seeks its own preservation or pursues its national interest becomes interesting only if we can figure out what the national interest requires a country to do." This essay examines what various theorists and practitioners of international relations have suggested is encompassed by the term 'national interest' and the schools of thought they represent. Those schools are roughly grouped into the realist or neo-realist or universalist or pluralist categories. The special difficulties of defining national interests within a democratic form of government and the political context of the American experiment in representative government are also addressed in this analysis. Finally, traditional ways of defining the national interest are challenged by the new environment in which f

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tes." The realists and the universalists also disagree over the degree to which ethical or moral considerations should shape the national interest. According to Craig and George, "there is a long history of controversy over the question whether and how moral principles should apply in foreign policy." Extreme realists, followers of realpolitik, ignore them. The universalists, such as human rights enthusiasts, tend to accord them primacy. Morgenthau was leery of ideological anti-communist fervor in post-war American foreign policy. He warned against "the delusion of universalism" but he agreed that while "man is an animal longing for power, . . . he is also a creature with a moral purpose." Democracy and the National Interest National interests are of an abiding nature. Morgenthau acknowledged "the kind of interest determining political action in a particular period depends upon the potential and cultural context within which foreign policy is formulated." Alexis De Tocqueville, Kennan and others have pointed out that political democracies often lack the consistency and stability necessary for the conduct of an effective foreign policy. In particular, the national interest may at times not be determined by a rational but a
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Approximate Word count = 1873
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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