Post-realism

What does it mean to think realistically? The definition itself is pretty straightforward: to think about one’s own potential and abilities in a realistic perspective. Although some may say that having a realistic perspective is negative, it is much more than having a realistic mindset. Thinking realistically can expand people’s perspective on life while achieving their desired potential and goals. Unfortunately, the world is not one big fairytale. In fact, the world may seem quite the…

Critical Overview # 1: Chomsky One common theme is Chomsky’s criticism of intellectuals and his interpretation of the basis for United States’ intervention. Chomsky argues that the basis that US intervention is largely based on strategic interests and that often intellectuals will perpetuate the idea the that pursing US interests is virtuous. Chomsky provides several valid critiques about the intellectual’s rule in supporting government propaganda and through their dismissal of those who…

Thucydides was one of the first predominant writers of classical realism and his ideas were later expanded on by Machiavelli, Hans Morgenthau, and other important classical realists. The main idea that sets classical realism apart from the other types of realism is the idea that states look to maximize their power due to human nature. As Hans Morgenthau said, "politics is governed by objective laws that have their…

Realism is a period of art that started in the 1850’s and has continued on in various forms since then. In a literary sense Realism is the attempt to portray life as it is and not, like the Romantics, as it should be. This philosophy is the heart of Realism and “has its origins in Descartes and Locke” who laid the groundwork for Empirical thought (Ian Watts, Rise of the Novel). Realism portrays society by using Empirical methods, the human senses, to create an objective view of reality in the…

Abstract: Magic realism acts as resistance against Western hegemony . In One Hundred years of Solitude Gabriel Garcia Marquez rediscovers the history of Latin America in an allegorical way. Magic realism is a narrative technique which acts as an identity of Latin America and on the other hand its hybrid characteristic is a protest against the conventional Western norm. Magical realism, unlike the fantastic or the surreal, presumes that the individual requires a bond with the traditions and…

Of all the movements America has gone through since its inception, I believe the realism movement best-aligns itself with who I am as a person. I believe that we, as humans, are nothing more than a collection of atoms, just like every space-occupying thing in our universe, and that we are no more significant than any other object. A way this belief translates to my every-day life is how I am not a religious person. Most of the popular religions teach that humans are somehow “special”, and they…

that each superpower portrays to themselves and the globe. A traditional way to look at it is using an open analysis of the realist theory in international relations. A key factor to the realist theory is to safeguard security in ones home nation. Realism would suggest that the solution to this international refugee crisis in Syria is for the US to attack Syrian President Assad, leading the US to assert control…

different views on various issues, such as climate change, trade deals and cooperation with other countries. From realism to neo-Marxism, there are many contending theories on international relations, and the candidates’ policy can be interpreted through the different lenses. There are several principal theories of international relations that prove useful in evaluating foreign policies. Realism, mainly contrasted with liberalism, focuses on the conflicts of world politics. The principal actors…

The realistism of Norman Rockwell For six decades, through two World Wars, the Great Depression, unprecedented national prosperity and radical social change, Norman Rockwell held a mirror up to America and reflected its identity through his illustrations. The images that Rockwell produced are very realistic, sometimes he also creates settings and suggests situations for the people in his paintings based on photographs. (examples shown in Image 6&7) “There were details, accidents of light, which…

Realism in film is neither a rigid genre nor is it an isolated structure in filmmaking and reflects our daily lives projected onto a screen, with a plausible narrative in place and characters we can relate to. Realism films are often devoid of style, or lack an aesthetic and instead focus on the content within the story, which tends to fall towards subject matter surrounding everyday life situations and sometimes addresses societal issues. Realism can combine with a variety of genres such as…