Realism as distinct discipline of International Relations (IR) began during the Interwar Period (1919-39), just before the World War Second. It was also the time when Realist school differentiated from Idealist school (later liberalism) in this period. The Great Debate ensued between idealists and realists and since then the difference remains to a larger extent.
One of the most influential work The Twenty Years Crisis written by E H Carr where he highlighted the competitive nature of states and how national interests affect the state's behavior in international politics. Later, Hans Morgenthau introduced the realist theory in academic discipline and it dominated the realist paradigm till Kenneth Waltz's Theory of world Politics was published.
However, realist tradition can be found as back as 460 BC in ancient Greece. Machiavelli (1469-1527 AD), Hobbes (1588-1679 AD) and Jean Jacques Rousseau (1712-1718 AD) are also considered the intellectual precursors of realist tradition. These intellectuals from Thucydides to Hans Morenthau are considered a part of Classic Realism.
Thucydides
Thucydides was a military general turned historian who chronicled the masterpiece The Peloponnesian War (431-404BC). The small city-states in the ancient Greece were fighting for dominance. Rather than advising morality, he advised states to accept the reality. All states large and small, must adapt to that given reality of unequal power and conduct themselves accordingly. Athens was a rising power and Sparta had enjoyed the status for a long period. But Spartans were revisionist power who wanted to maintain the status-quo at any cost. The war ensued between Athens and Sparta, and ultimately won by Sparta in 404 BC. Realists were not interested in who won the war but the dialogue between a small power, Melos and larger power, Athens.
The Melian Dialogue
Melos was a small island just 110 KM from the mainland Greece and Athens wanted to capture it before the war with Sparta. Melos appealed to Athenians on the principle of justice, which to them meant that their dignity as an independent state should be respected.
Thucydides denies their appeal, saying justice is not about equal treatment for all, because states are in fact unequal. The states should know their place in a international system and act accordingly. It's kind of natural law where the powerful do as they wish and weak accept which they must.
"A state should stand up to one's equals, behave with difference to one's superiors, and to treat one's inferiors with moderation."
Machiavelli
A philosopher, diplomat and writer, Nicollo Machiavelli is best known for his work, The Prince. He dedicated his work to to Medici the Magnificence (one of the richest Florentine banker family) where he advised how a ruler should govern his subjects and conduct external relations with other states.
Power (the lion) and deception (the fox) are the two essential traits of a ruler and also means for the conduct of foreign relations. Afterall, national freedom is the highest political value a ruler would like to preserve.
The main responsibility of rulers is to defend the state's interests and that requires, power. The overriding Machiavellian assumption is that world is dangerous place to live. A ruler can't be sure another ruler's intentions.
A ruler should be ready to sometimes go against the social moral percepts to maintain the safety and security of a state. Basically, a ruler should be pragmatic enough to change his stand according to the situation.
For Machiavelli, the moral maxims; love the neighbor and be peaceful, are the height of political irresponsibility. Political responsibility flows in a very different vein from ordinary morality.
The foreign policy should be based upon two essential requirements of a state: security and survival, everything is second.
Thomas Hobbes
Hobbes thinks we can gain a fundamental insight into political life if we imagine people living in a 'natural' condition prior to formation of state, which he called "state of nature".
The state of nature according to him depicts a 'permanent state of war', everyone against everyone. Life is always at risk where the powerful would do what they could and weak what they must accept as their fate.
To escape this 'state of nature', a sovereign state is what people need. The men and women pool their fears from each other to form a state. So Hobbesian state is formed not because of social contract but out of fear.
The state provided a peaceful and civilized life within a state, which can't be extended beyond the state or beyond the state. It's a strong conception of state where the cosmopolitan or a global society is not possible.
And because there is no security beyond a state, other states will also be in fear not knowing what others are planning or intending to do. And this fear among states create a condition, popularly termed as 'security dilemma'.
Conclusion
What among all three intellectual precursors of realism is: survival of a state is the first priority. The world external to state is anarchic and states are competitive in nature. A ruler should be prudent and pragmatic to accommodate the changes outside the state.
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