ABSTRACT
Statesmen, publicists and scholars who wish to be considered realists are inclined to insist that the foreign policy they advocate is dictated by the national interest, more specifically by the national security interest. However, when political formulas such as national interest" or "national security" gain popularity they need to be scrutinized with particular care. The change from welfare to a security interpretation of the symbol "national interest" is understandable. People are living under the impact of cold war and threats of external aggression rather than of depression and social reform. As a result, the formula of the national interest has come to be practically synonymous with the formula of national security. The demand for a policy of national security is primarily normative in character. The actual behavior of nations, past and present, does not affect the normative proposition.
