Defensive realism is a theory of international relations that’s a useful lens to look through in order to analyze international politics today. The essence of defensive realism is that as a state ...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has rekindled the realism versus liberalism debate in international relations. While liberals in general call the war an attack by “authoritarian Russia” on “democratic ...

The author’s views are his own and do not represent those of the Air War College, the Air Force or the Department of Defense. For the record, I side with the critics when it comes to the advisability ...

Some clarification is desperately needed. The release of the Iraq Study Group (ISG) report has caused the chattering classes to swoon over the “return of the realists.” Now the spectacle of people who ...

Realism is back. From arguments over Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine to the 2024 U.S. presidential election cycle, realist concepts dominate foreign policy discussions. Should Western ...

Share on Pinterest New research raises doubts about a decades-old theory that depressed people are more realistic. Westend61/Getty Images New research challenges Depressive Realism: a theory that ...

I defend a realist commitment to the truth of our most empirically successful current scientific theories— on the ground that it provides the best explanation of their success and the success of their ...

Dr Matt Sleat joined the Department in 2007 and is currently a Reader in Political Theory. He works on and has published widely across three main research areas: realist political thought, liberal ...

Americans are a people born of war, and only war can sustain the belief that they are a people set apart. War is necessary to sustain their belief that they are worthy of the sacrifices of past wars.