QUESTION 3(b)
GS4
10 marks
‘The will to power exists, but it can be tamed and be guided by rationality and principles of moral duty.’ Examine this statement in the context of international relations.
WRITE IN
7 min
150 words
What the examiner wants
Examine whether nations' will to power can be controlled by reason and moral duty in international relations.
ExamineGo into the details, test each point against evidence, and conclude on what it shows.
Demand-wise check
- 1Realist view: states seek power (Nietzsche, Morgenthau); wars and rivalry≈30 words
- 2Taming mechanisms: international law, UN Charter, treaties, norms (non-proliferation), interdependence, Kant's perpetual peace≈30 words
- 3Evidence both ways: EU integration vs Russia–Ukraine≈30 words
- 4India's approach: Panchsheel, strategic autonomy with ethical stance≈30 words
Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.
Answer plan
MeaningRealist viewMechanisms that tameEvidenceConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Only realism or only idealism
- No current example
Draw this
- Scale: power vs principle
Value addition
- ThinkerKant's 'Perpetual Peace' (1795) proposed a federation of free states and cosmopolitan law.Immanuel Kant
- FactThe NPT (1970) has 191 parties, showing restraint on nuclear power.UNODA
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Vidushi Singh · AIR 13 · Page 5 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Aakash Garg · AIR 5 · Page 7 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Shakti Dubey · AIR 1 · Page 23 ↗Same syllabus reference
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