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When Martians Go to Venus: Structural Realism in Europe

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Realism

Part of the book series: Trends in European IR Theory ((TEIRT))

Abstract

This chapter provides a systematic discussion of the origins, development and influence of structural realism in Europe. It identifies the characteristics of European structural realism and discusses how European structural realist thought has spilled back into the discipline of international relations. European realists have influenced the realist perspective on international relations and realist debates on international relations from three points departure, which also coincide with three overlapping waves of theorizing: Pre-structural realism associated with classical English School realists such as Martin Wight, Hedley Bull and Herbert Butterfield; Structural realism exploring how systemic processes transmit and modify structural incentives, while pointing to the continued importance of power politics; Post-structural realism associated with the Copenhagen School pushing realist thinking beyond state-centric actorness and exploring the link between political discourse and material power.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Anders Wivel

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  1. Anders Wivel
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Correspondence to Anders Wivel .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science, University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany

    Alexander Reichwein

  2. School of Humanities, Coventry University, Coventry, UK

    Felix Rösch

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Wivel, A. (2021). When Martians Go to Venus: Structural Realism in Europe. In: Reichwein, A., Rösch, F. (eds) Realism. Trends in European IR Theory. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58455-9_9

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