Hans Morgenthau's anti-Machiavellian Machiavellianism

This article addresses the apparently contradictory moral perspectives betw een Hans Morgenthau's Scientific Man C's. Power Politics and his Politics A mong Nations. While the former maintains a perfectionist or non-utilitarian ethics, the Latter appears to subscribe to a form of utilitarian ethics. T he article argues that the contradiction can be resolved by working through Morgenthau's teaching of the evil of politics. It shows that Politics Amon g Nations re-enacts that teaching. In other words, Morgenthau practices an art of deception that is in keeping with the imperatives of a perfectionist ethics. The analysis thus reveals that elements of rhetoric and irony are integral to the constitution and articulation of his political realism. Acc ordingly, an argument could be made for the re-evaluation of Morgenthau's t hought along the lines of the analysis undertaken here. Furthermore, this p erspective on Morgenthau could open the door for classical political realis m to engage post-structuralist theorists of international relations on thei r own terms.