Neoclassic Realism: From International Politics to Foreign Policy

Neoclassic realism, adopting the anarchic nature of international system as its departure point, and despite efforts to explain neoclassic anomalies, is often criticized by non-realists from epistemological, methodological and theoretical aspects. Neoclassic realism is a combination of classic realism and neorealism. This theory was a reaction to extreme anti-reductionism of neorealism. While neorealism as a theory of international politics does not cover the analysis of single states and leaves it for theory of foreign policy, neoclassic realism, accepting the assumptions of neorealism, aims to provide a more useful research paradigm for description, explanation and anticipation of foreign policy of particular states. The present article aims to assess the capacities of this theory to explain the strategy of states in international politics and foreign policy.