Man, the State, and War: a theoretical analysis
Thoughtfully addressing the question as to why mankind enters war, international relations scholar, Dr. Kenneth Neal Waltz, surveys classical and contemporary theories of the behavior of man found in the cross-discipline literature of Western civilization. His inquiry includes the works of philosophers, anthropologists, and psychologists. "Man, the State, and War,[footnoteRef:1]" first published in 1959, categorizes theories of international relations into three images for analysis. The first image is that of 'Man." He describes the ways in which international politics are affected by the actions of individuals. The second image is "the State." He explains the workings of international politics and how domestic systems and policies play a vital role in international affairs. The third image emphasizes international systemic factors. He depicts these factors as being in the state of "anarchy." His reference, it should be noted, does not refer here as a condition of chaos and confusion, but rather describes a more benign characteristic of being without a unified leadership. This paper will briefly introduce Kenneth Waltz to establish his credibility and worldview, and then expound and reflect on the three theoretical categories presented in "Man, the State, and War." [1: Waltz, K, (2001), Man, the State, and War: a theoretical analysis, 3rd ed, Columbia University Press, New York. Hereafter referenced parenthetically as (Waltz, page #).]
Kenneth Neal Waltz was born in 1924 in Ann Arbor Michigan, and thus spent his childhood and young adulthood in an America culture that experienced the great depression and two world wars. After serving in the military, he received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1954. Dr. Waltz is considered one of the most prominent contemporary scholars of international relations. He has taught at prestigious universities, such as Columbia and Berkley, and is the founder of international relations theory, neorealism, which favors the role of international structures as a constraint for state strategies and motivations in international affairs. This theory was formulated 25 years after "Man, the State, and War" was completed; however, the developing theory is noticeable within its pages.
The First Image: Man
"Man, the State, and War," was Waltz' first published contribution to the political science field, in which he emphasizes the role and relationship of three primary sectors in international politics. The first, and most fundamental, is the individual, "Man." Drawing on the philosophies of Augustine and Spinoza, he explains that man is a creature motivated by reason and passion. If by reason, according to Jewish philosopher Spinoza, man's actions will "spontaneously lead to harmony in cooperative endeavors to perpetuate life." However, this is not always the situation in world. Recognizing this, Waltz contends that "men are lead not by the precepts of pure reason, but by their passions" and men that are "led by passions, are drawn into conflict (Waltz, 24)." These bad acts can be accounted for in Christian theology by the concept of original sin. This is the belief that God made man to be a rational being whose passions are subordinate to and ordered by reason. However, due to man's separation from God, his passions are disordered and have an inherited tendency toward selfishness desires, which Waltz simply labels 'bad.' He asserts that "anyone can 'prove' that man is bad, simply by pointing to evidence of his viciousness and stupidity (Waltz, 27)." These individual motivations, like leaven in bead dough, impact domestic policies which can lead to war. He states, "Wars result from selfishness, from misdirected aggressive impulses, from stupidity." He continues, "If these are the primary causes, the elimination of war must come through uplifting and enlightening men (Waltz.16)."
The Second Image: The State
Waltz recognizes that human interaction is too complex to casually put the blame of the presence or absence of war solely on the individual. In the second image, Waltz explores causes of international conflict that arise from the internal workings of nation-states. Waltz suggests, "The internal organization of states is the key to understanding war and peace. Removing the defects of states would establish the basis for peace (Waltz, 81)." Waltz believes that recognition of internal defects, found in domestic governments, can explain, and perhaps correct, external acts that are harmful to international relationships.
Waltz proceeds to analyze state political institutions, including such things as methods of production and distribution, or the characteristics of its people, as determinants...
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