Realist political theory adopts the powerholder’s viewpoint

Evidence

His political philosophy is scientific and empirical, based upon his own experience of affairs, concerned to set forth the means to assigned ends, regardless of the question whether the ends are to be considered good or bad. — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 1870 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Power theory must be grounded indirectly through a theory of society.; Machiavelli based political philosophy on empirical means rather than moral ends — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 1870; Technocratic realism is descriptively accurate but costs citizens their political autonomy — Jürgen Habermas, A New Structural Transformation of the…, 102 (+1 more)

Related

• Machiavelli based political philosophy on empirical means rather than moral ends (similarity 0.88)
• Machiavelli derived political rules from objective conditions of struggle, not ethics (similarity 0.86)
• Machiavelli’s work is immediate political action, not utopian blueprint (similarity 0.84)
• Machiavelli’s concepts function as intuitions and symbols, not metaphysics (similarity 0.81)
• The political-animal doctrine has deep Italian philosophical roots (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Power theory must be grounded indirectly through a theory of society. #qualifies (0.85)
• Machiavelli based political philosophy on empirical means rather than moral ends #exemplifies (0.82) — Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, 1870