Man state and war summary

Man, the State and War: a Theoretical Analysis

Man, the State, and War is a book on international relations by realist academic Kenneth Waltz. The book is influential within the field of international relations theory for establishing the three 'images of analysis' used to explain conflict in the international system. Waltz's initial contribution to the field of international relations was his book, Man, the State, and War , which classified theories of the causes of war into three categories, or levels of analysis. Each image is given two chapters: the first uses mainly the classical philosopher's writings to describe what that image says about the cause of war, and the second usually has Waltz analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of that image. The first image argues that wars are often caused by the nature of particular statesmen and political leaders such as state leaders, like Napoleon or Saddam Hussein , or by human nature more generally.

Waltz Columbia University Press. What are the causes of war? To answer this question, Professor Waltz examines the ideas of major thinkers throughout the history of Western civilization. He explores works both by classic political philosophers, such as St. Augustine, Hobbes, Kant, and Rousseau, and by modern psychologists and anthropologists to discover ideas intended to explain war among states and related prescriptions for peace.

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