Realism conceives of the international system as anarchy. It believes that states must therefore always act in ways that will get them the most power. In such a belief system, organizations like the United Nations are pointless because states will only do things that will increase their power. Realist theory holds that events in the world follow one basic system; a Hobbesian system where everyone must be viewed as a threat and the only way to survive is to gain more power than your rivals. Because there is anarchy in the international world, Realists believe that greater power is the only way for states to secure their sovereignty, and this leads to the belief that states are the main players in international politics because the system discourages individuality in favor of these types of power struggles.
