In his book Politics Among Nations, political scientist and seminal international relations theorist Hans J. Morgenthau contends that “International politics, like all politics, is a struggle for power”. A reality that remains undiminished in the 21st century is that power is the central principle of global politics and persists in governing state behaviour.
From ancient empires to modern nation states, the dominant logic of international relations has consistently prioritized competition over cooperation. Thucydides, a firsthand observer of the Peloponnesian War in the fifth century BC, argues that, “The strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must”. He further elaborates that the rising power of Athens disrupt Sparta, inciting a devastating conflict that ended in Athenian defeat and proved that fear and power shape the destiny of states. Through another lens, the Treaty of Westphalia (1618-1648) marked the turning point in global politics built upon the principle of the modern nation state. It established the earliest boundaries of sovereignty, and endorsed states in making decisions unilaterally in their national Interest.
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