Realists believe world politics is always and  necessarily a field of conflict among nations  

pursuing wealth and power, and nations  desire power to ensure self-preservation.

Realists believe that there are no universal  principles that can be used to guide the  

behaviors of all nations. Instead, a nation  must be constantly aware of the acts of its  

neighboring countries and take a pragmatic  approach to resolve problems as they emerge.  

A lack of trust in each other's motives leads  to mistrust and competition between nations.

Realism does not favor any  particular moral philosophy,  

nor does it consider ideology to be a major  factor in the behavior of nations. However,  

realists are generally critical of liberal foreign  policy, which we will discuss later in this video.

Some figures frequently cited  as realists include Thucydides,  

Niccol Machiavelli, Thomas Hobbes,  Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Max Weber.