A Cultural Theory of International Relations

An original theory of politics and international relations based on ancient Greek ideas of human motivation.

Richard Ned Lebow (Author)

9780521871365, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 11 December 2008

776 pages, 5 tables
23.4 x 15.4 x 3.9 cm, 1.32 kg

'Lebow's writing is a model of clarity and accessibility and he provides neat, if not short, summaries of his arguments and conclusions at both the beginning and the end of A Cultural Theory of International Relations.' Geoffrey Roberts, H-Diplo

In this volume, Richard Ned Lebow introduces his own constructivist theory of political order and international relations based on theories of motives and identity formation drawn from the ancient Greeks. His theory stresses the human need for self-esteem, and shows how it influences political behavior at every level of social aggregation. Lebow develops ideal-type worlds associated with four motives: appetite, spirit, reason and fear, and demonstrates how each generates a different logic concerning cooperation, conflict and risk-taking. Expanding and documenting the utility of his theory in a series of historical case studies, ranging from classical Greece to the war in Iraq, he presents a novel explanation for the rise of the state and the causes of war, and offers a reformulation of prospect theory. This is a novel theory of politics by one of the world's leading scholars of international relations.

1. Introduction
2. Fear, interest and honor
3. The spirit and its expression
4. The ancient world
5. Medieval Europe
6. From Sun King to Revolution
7. Imperialism and World War I
8. World War II
9. Hitler to Bush and beyond
10. General findings and conclusions.

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS]