Under modern international law, the equality of nations was referred to as "principle" but the thought supported international order that discriminated non-western Europe countries, therefore it was natural that some people were disappointed about the difference between the "principle" and reality, became cynical and put more value on national power than principle.
近代国際法は「理念」として万国平等を謳いながら、現実では非西欧諸国を差別する国際秩序を支えており、こうした「理念」と現実との落差に対し、やがて失望とシニカルな感想、そして理念よりも国力を重視する姿勢が出てくることは自然であった。