Scientific Man versus Power Politics
1946 book by Hans Morgenthau
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Scientific Man versus Power Politics is a 1946 work by realist academic Hans Morgenthau.[1] The book contains Morgenthau's most systematic exposition of a realist philosophy and a critique of a position he terms 'liberal rationalism'.[2] Morgenthau argues that liberalism's belief in human reason had been shown to be deficient because of the rise of Nazi Germany[3] and that emphasis on science and reason as routes to peace meant that states were losing touch with historic traditions of statecraft.[4] The work marked out Morgenthau as the pre-eminent modern exponent of a Hobbesian view of human nature in international relations scholarship.[5] Despite the contemporary association between (neo)realism and positivism Scientific Man has been considered a critique of attempts to place politics on a 'scientific' footing in works such as Charles Merriam's New Aspects of Politics.[6]
First edition | |
| Author | Hans Morgenthau |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press |
Publication date | 1946 |
| Publication place | United States |
The sociologist Read Bain gave the book a critical review in Social Forces.[7]