ABSTRACT
The realist vision of the role of morality in international politics that has so influenced the development of international relations theory in the twentieth century has frequently been misunderstood. Said Hans J. Morgenthau, "Whenever the appeal to moral principles provides guidance for political action in international affairs, it destroys the very moral principles it intends to realize." Realists also believed that cloaking policy in a blanket of morality hinders compromise and flexibility in both means and ends. For all the founding fathers of twentieth-century realism, the international arena did not offer enough interconnection for society to develop and enforce a real ethical code. Neorealism sets out to explain regularities and patterns in state behavior. It is important not to overdraw the absence of moral considerations in neorealism. Robert Gilpin, who dislikes the term neorealism, is nevertheless known as a highly respected neorealist.
