Review – Bandwagoning in International Relations
Dylan Motin explores the idea of bandwagoning with great powers in contemporary Asia and Europe, but could do with more discussion of the accompanying theories.
North Korea’s Withdrawal from the NPT: Neorealism and Selectorate Theory
Both neorealism and the selectorate theory show that North Korea’s demand for nuclear weapons strongly correlates with a large US military presence in East Asia.
Review – Hans Kelsen’s Political Realism
Schuett’s work highlights Kelsen’s often overlooked contributions to IR, but raises questions over the conflation of strands of realist thought and the pessimism of mid-century thinkers.
Fear and Freud in Politics: Critical Notes on Mearsheimer’s Structural Realism
We can use Freudian psychoanalytical theory as one possible way to look at how structures in world politics can be explained and tested for their resilience.
Review – The Rise and Fall of Peace on Earth
Mandelbaum’s book is an analytically flawed, contradictory and unconventional piece of realist scholarship that considers the instability of the post-Cold War period.
Saving Grace or Achilles Heel? The Odd Relationship Between Nuclear Weapons and Neo-Realism
Its time for Neo-Realists to quit using nuclear weapons as anomaly fixers, even if this necessities a fundamental reworking of their basic principles.
Introducing Realism in International Relations Theory
Realism claims to explain the reality of international politics by emphasising the constraints on politics that result from humankind’s nature and the absence of a central authority above the state.
A Contemporary Perspective on Realism
Realism, especially in its classical form, is far from being ready for the dustbin of the history of IR theory – as some critics suggest.
Open Access Book – Realism in Practice: An Appraisal
A diverse range of authors seek to define the conceptual aspects of realism and establish whether the tradition still provides the necessary conceptual tools to scholars.
Waltzian Metatheory: A Rejoinder to Brittnee Carter
A recent article on e-IR examined some of the metatheoretical implications of Waltz’s 1979 Theory of International Politics. Though an excellent analysis, there are some points to add.
