Ethical traditions are varied perspectives from which historical and current events are considered and analyzed with emphasis on the interactions between actors. According to Terry Nardin, ethical traditions have three fundamental attributes as well as a relationship between ethical tradition and ethical judgment. With these characteristics in mind, the potential for change within a tradition will be addressed. Finally, this article will examine how the realist tradition has fared in the international system. To begin, we must address the definition of an ethical tradition. As Nardin defines it in Traditions of International Ethics, a tradition is a “long-established practice possessing something like the force of law, a practice that is authoritative precisely because of its status as a tradition” (6). Ethical traditions are meant to withstand the tests of time and scrutiny. To do this, they must be interpreted and defended, like the law, by citizens over time. A tradition must have those who consider it as a central element of argument and interpretation and they must be able to convince new generations of the credibility of that tradition. Furthermore, a tradition has three fundamental attributes: it must look to the past, be an authority within a community of an inherited practice or belief, and it must have continuity in its transmission (6) . Traditions should come from the past; otherwise, ideas cannot be considered passed down from previous generations. Defenders of a tradition should view the idea or observation as a tradition that becomes an ethical tradition because the interpreters recognize the importance of the interactions among the actors within them. Without judging how a tradition affects...... middle of paper ...... the popular state (or religion in the case of the Church). Even with the introduction of international institutions and laws aimed at reducing conflict and power struggles, states and non-state actors continue to engage in conflict and seek power to remain relevant. Since the end of World War II, more than 100 conflicts of varying degrees have occurred around the world. Nardin gives a three-part definition of a tradition which distinguishes it from a contemporary, poorly received and unfounded idea. Some changes within a tradition are permitted through debate and argument, but if the unit of analysis and the ultimate goals that the tradition attempts to achieve change, then a new or different tradition is used in the analysis . Finally, for reasons of longevity, number of defenders and applicability to a vast historical period, realism has held up rather well on the international scene...