Download or read book The Hobbesian Theory of International Conflict written by Raino Malnes and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1993 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book proposes a theory of international conflict based on Thomas Hobbes' theory of social conflict. It examines in detail his premises, questioning their applicability to relations among states. Through this discussion, a new version of "political realism" emerges, more systematic and logically explicit than previous statements of realism. The Hobbesian theory of conflict is contrasted to works in the same tradition--from Thucydides' account of the Peloponnesian War to Kenneth Waltz's system-theory. It also explores other perspectives on international relations, like Kant's theory of the relationship between democracy and foreign policy. The work shows how the Hobbesian theory provides a basis for evaluating the realist ambition of constructing a general theory of international politics.