Realism. Historical, social, philosophical, political, economic, legal realism. Machiavellian, Hobbesian, Kissingerian realism. Positivist, post-positivist, liberal, neoliberal, radical realism. Sur-, super-, photo-, anti-, neo-, post-realism. And now on your computer screens and tabloid racks, hyper-realism.

Clearly, realism comes in many flavors and everyone has their favorite. Yet in the realm of international relations the meaning of realism has more often than not been presented as uniform, self-evident and transparent. This volume combines the new with the old, by reinvestigating realism through a dialogue between classical international theory and critical theoretical challenges to it. It signals the arrival of a broader range of realisms for a newly multipolar, multicultural international relations.

The collection begins where classical realists began, with diplomatic investigations into the limits and possibilities of international theory. These essays are coupled with critical investigations in order to call into question the natural hegemony of traditional realism. Contributors include Martin Wight, Hans Morgenthau, J. Ann Tickner, Hedley Bull, Richard Ashley, Robert Keohane, and Jean Bethke Elshtain.