Realist View: Realists, influenced by Thomas Hobbes, argue that human nature is inherently selfish and driven by self-interest. Hobbes’ description of the state of nature as “nasty, brutish, and short” underpins the realist belief that morality has no place in global politics. For instance, realists interpret Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a rational pursuit of national interest and power, not a moral failure — Putin is acting to secure strategic dominance.