War and International Politics | John Mearsheimer | NDISC Seminar Series

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=takl4fei1pQ

Summary

TL;DR — The world has transitioned from a unipolar moment dominated by the US to a dangerous multipolar world with great powers like the US, China, and Russia, making great power war a relevant concern again. From a realist perspective, war is an inherent and dominating feature of international politics, driven by fundamental disagreements and the anarchic nature of the international system, and it tends to escalate beyond political control, especially in the nuclear age.

Key points

• International politics is fundamentally competitive and driven by war, which influences state behavior and leader decision-making.

• War is an extension of politics by other means, and states engage in it for national interest, including preventive wars and wars of opportunity, which are often deemed unacceptable by conventional Western norms.

• The tendency for wars to escalate to extreme levels is powerful, potentially subordinating political considerations to military ones, which is particularly dangerous in the nuclear era.

• War cannot be eliminated from international politics due to the anarchic system and the inherent nature of politics as a conflict-driven enterprise.

• While cooperation exists, it occurs under the shadow of security competition, and in conflicts between politics and economics, politics (and survival) will ultimately prevail.

• The destructiveness of modern war, amplified by nationalism, industrialization, and nuclear weapons, makes it less likely but no less important as a background feature of international relations.

Takeaway — War is an endemic and unavoidable aspect of international politics, driven by fundamental disagreements and the structure of the international system, and its potential for escalation and destructiveness demands constant attention, especially from policymakers.