Politics Among Nations

Morgenthau argues that a foreign policy that seeks to maintain a balance of power is “inevitable.” Also, he characterizes the balance of power as an “essential stabilizing factor” in international relations (187), not a flawed approach to foreign policy.

Social Equilibrium

The principle of equilibrium, which “signifies stability within a system composed of numerous autonomous forces” (188), exists in many fields, including sociology and biology. If equilibrium is disrupted, one of the nations within the balance of power will become powerful and threaten or even destroy the others. Within democratic governments, an internal balance of power often exists between different institutions and representative bodies.

Two Main Patterns of the Balance of Power

The “struggle for power” between nations can take two different forms (192). In the first scenario, direct opposition occurs when “Nation A” engages in an imperialistic policy against “Nation B.” At this point, Nation B reacts with either a status-quo policy or an imperialistic policy of its own. The second scenario involves a pattern of competition. Here, a third nation, “Nation C,” might also be involved as a target of Nation A’s imperialistic policy. Nation B might then move to either defend Nation C or control Nation C itself in order to protect its own interests.