International Political Theory

Author: Waltz
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-11-01
Features: Waltz's International Politics Theory is the most influential international relations theory book since Hans Morgenthau's Politics Among Nations, and also the earliest and most important representative of neorealism. The extraordinary aspect of Waltz's theory lies not in advocating a new theoretical research or thinking path, but in his effort to systematize political realism, making it a rigorous, deductive international political system theory. This book is part of the "Eastern Translation Series."
Kenneth Waltz's International Politics Theory starts from the international system, constructs a systematic-structural research framework for international politics on the basis of separation and reduction, and thus proposes Waltz's famous "structural realism" theory. In this theory, through concise and meticulous deduction, Waltz presents the positions and interactive relationships of various actors in the international society. He also points out that the activities of these actors are determined by the pressures presented by the international structure. This book is one of the most influential works in the field of contemporary international politics and one of the most frequently cited works, having become a classic in the field of international politics.
The book Theory is divided into nine chapters. The first chapter explains what theory is and the advantages of deductive theory over inductive theory. The second, third, and fourth chapters critique why reductionism cannot explain international political outcomes. The fifth chapter clarifies how political structures are generated. The sixth chapter examines the characteristics of anarchy and the expected changes of states within the system. The seventh, eighth, and ninth chapters then test the structural theory of international politics, comparing different international systems and explaining the differences in behavior and outcomes when the system structure changes.
According to the author, this book attempts to solve three problems. First, it attempts a critical examination of existing important international political theories; second, it seeks to establish a new international political theory; and third, it tests the newly established theory.