John Mearsheimer: The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001)

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics (2001) by John Mearsheimer is a cornerstone of contemporary realist international relations theory, offering a provocative argument for the inevitability of conflict among great powers. Drawing on his theory of "offensive realism," Mearsheimer asserts that the anarchic structure of the international system compels states to seek dominance and maximize their power to ensure survival, dooming even peaceful nations to conflict and a relentless power struggle.

The book combines historical case studies with a clear theoretical framework, making it accessible to both scholars and general readers. Mearsheimer's analysis of power dynamics, particularly his discussions on rationality, balancing, hegemony, and security dilemmas, is insightful and thought-provoking. However, critics may find his deterministic view of international relations overly pessimistic, as it downplays the role of international treaties and institutions, trade and economic interdependence, and moral considerations in mitigating and managing conflict.

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For the discussion, please read in advance Chapter 1 ("Introduction"), a pdf is available here (28 pages).

About the author:

John J. Mearsheimer (1947–) is an American political scientist and international relations scholar, who belongs to the realist school of political thought. He is a Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago where he has taught since 1982. He graduated from West Point in 1970 and then served five years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. He has also been a research fellow at the Brookings Institution, Harvard University's Center for International Affairs, and the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

Mearsheimer's works are widely read and debated by 21st-century students of international relations. He has been described as the most influential realist thinker of his generation. A 2017 survey of US international relations faculty ranks him third among "scholars whose work has had the greatest influence on the field of IR in the past 20 years." He has published 7 books and numerous articles in academic journals like International Security. He also frequently publishes in popular outlets like Foreign Affairs, the Economist, the London Review of Books, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times.