Keohane:Neorealism and Its Critics (Cloth) (The Political economy of international change)

Sparked by Kenneth Waltz's Theory of International Relations, this classic text is a summary of current thinking on neorealism, a revival of the tradition that emphasizes state power struggles in world affairs. With contributions by John Ruggie, Robert Cox, Richard Ashley, and Robert Gilpin, the book also includes an introductory essay by Keohane and a concluding chapter by Waltz. One of the liveliest debates in American international relations theory today concerns "neorealism," a revival of the tradition that emphasizes the role of interstate power struggles in world affairs. The debate was sparked by the 1979 publication of Kenneth Waltz's Theory of International Relations, which systematized realism as a coherent, deductive theory. This volume provides a unique summary of current thinking on neorealism. Ideal for course use, it presents key portions of Waltz's book along with the most significant critical evaluations of the topic by other leading scholars. Neorealism's supporters stress how much we can learn by focusing rigorously on the level of the international system, particularly by examining the effects of the distribution of power among states. Critics point out what they feel are neorealism's shortcomings: continuing ambiguities in the concepts of power and balance of power, the importance of internal determinants of foreign policy, difficulties of neorealist theory accounting for change, and what some regard as its tendency to ignore both history and the material conditions on which any international system rests. These issues are not merely of abstract interest, but relate to fundamental values as well as to the question of how humanity can survive in today's nuclear world. Neorealism and Its Critics addresses these and other vital questions in its critiques of the theory, and of Waltz's book in particular. Featuring contributions by John Ruggie, Robert Cox, Richard Ashley, and Robert Gilpin, with an introductory essay by Keohane and a concluding chapter by Waltz, this book is essential reading for both students and scholars as an up-to-date assessment of neorealism. Realism, Neorealism, And The Study Of World Politics / Robert O. Keohane -- Laws And Theories / Kenneth N. Waltz -- Reductionist And Systemic Theories / Kenneth N. Waltz -- Political Structures / Kenneth N. Waltz -- Anarchic Orders And Balances Of Power / Kenneth N. Waltz -- Continuity And Transformation In The World Polity / John Gerard Ruggie -- Theory Of World Politics / Robert O. Keohane -- Social Forces, States, And World Orders / Robert W. Cox -- The Poverty Of Neorealism / Richard K. Ashley -- The Richness Of The Tradition Of Political Realism / Robert G. Gilpin -- Reflections On Theory Of International Politics / Kenneth N. Waltz. Robert O. Keohane, Editor. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. [347]-366. For more than 2000 years, realist traditions of political thought have emphasized world politics as an interstate struggle for power. In 1979, Kenneth N. Waltz's book Theory of International Relations gave shape to this approach, which has come to be known as "neorealism." Presenting extracts of Waltz's book and evaluations by other scholars, this book provides balanced views of neorealism's supporters and critics. The book features contributions from such experts as John Ruggie, Robert Keohane, Robert Cox, Richard Ashely, and Robert Gilpin, with an introductory essay by Keohane and a response by Waltz. ISBN 0-231-06348-2: $45.00 Neorealism is the school of international relations that emphasizes the role of inter-state power struggles in world affairs.This volume features essays by both its most prominent exponents and its principal critics.