The Logic of Anarchy: Neorealism to Structural Realism by Barry Buzan & Richard Little & Charles A. Jones

Author:Barry Buzan & Richard Little & Charles A. Jones
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: #pw3
ISBN: 9780231080415
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 1993-03-24T23:00:00+00:00

8. The Structure and Logic of Anarchy

Waltz’s assessment of the logic of anarchy is very simple and yet absolutely central to Neorealism. He asserts that an anarchic system emerges as soon as independent political units begin to coact. Once this happens, the logic of anarchy requires that the agents of these units pursue actions that will ensure not only that the political units can survive and reproduce themselves in the anarchic system but also that the anarchic structure of the international system is simultaneously albeit unintentionally reproduced.

Unintended actions, however, are not necessarily unanticipated actions. It is important to recognize that while agents may not intend to reproduce an anarchic arena, this does not mean that they are unaware that in consolidating the state they are simultaneously helping to reproduce an international anarchy.

This assessment of the logic of anarchy has been strongly criticized by poststructuralists on the grounds that it obscures some very important features of the contemporary structure of the international system.

According to their line of argument, anarchy is a multifaceted phenomenon that can be explored from contradictory perspectives. This assessment strikes a common chord with our argument here: that anarchy itself is a differentiated phenomenon. In other words, we shall challenge Waltz’s argument that the logic of anarchy is unaffected by the nature of the units that make up the anarchy. Because we have incorporated functional differentiation into the deep structure of the system, it becomes necessary to take account of the way states reproduce themselves. Because states reproduce themselves in different ways, it will be argued that this can affect the logic of anarchy. Despite the echoes of poststructuralism, the similarity is deceptive.

The poststructuralists wish to argue that reality is inherently contradictory and they wish to expose that the international system embraces competing modes of anarchy. We wish to identify how different modes of anarchy are reproduced and transformed. After looking at the poststructural position, therefore, it is necessary to explore in more detail how the reproduction of political units interacts with the logic of the anarchic system.

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