What are the causes of war? To answer this question, Professor Waltz examines the ideas of major thinkers throughout the history of Western civilization. He explores works both by classic political philosophers, such as St. Augustine, Hobbes, Kant, and Rousseau, and by modern psychologists and anthropologists to discover ideas intended to explain war among states and related prescriptions for peace.
Man, the State, and War: A Theoretical Analysis
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It is fortunate that Waltz is not merely a qualified political theorist but also an able student of international politics. -- American Political Science Review
[A] thoughtful inquiry into the views of classical political theory on the nature and causes of war. -- Foreign Affairs
[A] thoughtful inquiry into the views of classical political theory on the nature and causes of war. -- Foreign Affairs
About the Author
Kenneth N. Waltz is a recipient of the James Madison Award for distinguished scholarly contributions to political science from the American Political Science Association. He is Ford Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, and is now at the Institute of War and Peace Studies at Columbia University. He is the author of Foreign Policy and Democratic Politics, Theory of International Politics, and coauthor of The Spread of Nuclear Weapons.
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ASKING who won a given war, someone has said, is like asking who won the San Francisco earthquake. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
ASKING who won a given war, someone has said, is like asking who won the San Francisco earthquake. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Scott
Format:Paperback
This is a strange little book. Written early in the academic career of Ken Waltz, this is essentially a political theory text written by an international relations giant. Alas, it sometimes reads like it. The prose is fine, but conceptually, its arguments are fairly simple and straightforward. In that sense it is ideal for the novice or an intro level class. For those with a more thorough background in the subject, three things are of particular interest. First, the clash (re the "First Image") between Waltz the neo-realist and his chosen foil--Hans Morgenthau. How viciously the young turn on their own! Second, Waltz's idiosyncratic reading of Rousseau as an exemplar of early realism. Third, the path from this text to his masterpiece, "The Theory of International Politics". Given Waltz's skewering of theorizing from the first image (man's problematic nature) and second image (regime type and behavior), the path is made clear to his systems-level approach. On the whole this book is an enjoyable read, but hardly an intellectual tour-de-force.
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This book is a good caustic review of the methodology of world affairs. The book is a very simple and repetitive read. Though the ideas are absolutely brilliant analyses and very effective, all the major ideas of the book could have been shortened to within a page and still been just as effective. This is one of those books that talks about three central points (given away by the title) and states a thousand examples for each point. Just ask a friend what this one's about...dont bother reading it unless you have a professor that will test you on how many hairs napoleon had on his toes. Enjoy!
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Many criticisms to Waltz's work are unfounded, in that the book is not intended to be an end all for explaining wars in international relations. It does however, provide the reader with a theoretical framework of international relations. The three images of analysis provide for a generalization of the system in which war is promulgated. This book and a bevy of later works argue what level of analysis is best at explicating the cause of war. Don't read this book as a means to finding a simplistic answer to the cause of war, rather read it with the hope of gaining a better understanding of the causes of war.
For those interested in international relations, Keohane and Nye's works are very worthwhile.
For those interested in international relations, Keohane and Nye's works are very worthwhile.
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