Idealism and Realism Essay - 1792 Words

â€Å"In the place where idealism and realism meet, that is where there is the greatest evolutionary tension.† Idealism prioritizes ideals, social reforms and morals, by wanting to benefit not just yourself, but the world around you, believing people are generally good. On the contrary, realism gives priority to national interest and security with emphasis on promoting one’s own power and influence by assuming that people are egocentric by nature. Based on the definitions stated above, idealism and realism are significantly different from each other and their divergence of thought is more apparent when various proponents of each such as Woodrow Wilson, Henry Lodge, Barack Obama and George W. Bush have varied outlooks on comparable issues in†¦show more content†¦His idea of the League of Nations was significant because he believed if various countries worked together, there were fewer chances of violent conflicts such as wars. However, Wilson’s goals we re long term, but for the most part he did not present a clear way to achieve those goals. Tragically, his Fourteen Points were not accepted by Congress. Congress did not pass the proposal to join the League of Nations because Wilson had not included Congress in the negotiations. More importantly, the US did not join the League of Nations because the Senate was strictly against it, since they were more realists than idealists in the Senate and most people did not agree with Wilson’s ideas. Ultimately, Wilson did come up with the idea of the League of Nations, but the US never joined, which some say contributed to its’ failure. The biggest opposition to the US joining the League of Nations came from Senator Henry Cabot Lodge. His being a realist was very opposing to many of Wilson’s idealist concepts, which is why he was out front against the League of Nations. In particular, Lodge believed involvement in the League would compromise US sovereignty by necessitating the US to take part in international conflicts while it was not in the national interest of the US to do so. In addition, he also believed that being a part of the League of Nations would threaten the political freedom because the United States would be constricted byShow MoreRelatedIdealism, Realism, And Marxism1559 Words   |  7 PagesWhat do the theories we have looked at to this point (idealism, realism, Marxism) tell us about the prospects, and necessary conditions, for cooperation in international politics? International politics have been in our nation since the beginning of time. Nations have tried to work together and international politics have given many tries a cooperation. In today’s world conflict is always occurring. Many different world issues pop up every single day. Through looking at international relations andRead MoreRealism and Idealism for the Godfather1166 Words   |  5 PagesRealism and Idealism for the Godfather I will never forget what I felt when I first seen my first mobster movie, I was about 12 years old, it was real late at night and I just could not fall asleep. I was flipping the channels looking for something to watch, and that is when I encountered my first mobster movie. I was intrigued from beginning to end; it was like nothing I had ever seen before. The way they talked so confident and cool to the way they looked so sharp and sophisticated. AlthoughRead MoreDifferences Between Idealism and Realism3232 Words   |  13 Pagesled emergence of idealism and realism as two major traditional philosophical schools of thought in the realm of philosophy. 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AlthoughRead MoreDifferences Between Idealism and Realism3232 Words   |  13 Pagesled emergence of idealism and realism as two major traditional philosophical schools of thought in the realm of philosophy. So this paper projects the meaning of idealism and meaning of realism then discusses in detail the basic assumptions of idealism and those of realism and how these two traditional schools of thought differ and their implications within the educational setting. Meaning of idealism Idealism is one of the traditional philosophical schools of thought, idealism as describe by IshumiRead MoreIdealism and Realism in International Relations Essay1318 Words   |  6 Pagesdiplomacy, international law, international finance, etc. Within this field of study, idealism and realism are two main theories. The two rivaling theories have been on a great debate, or discussion, since the emergence of international relations. 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