"Man, the State, and War"

Paper Summary:

The purpose of Kenneth Waltz's book, "Man, the State and War", is to debunk theories that do not locate the causes of war in the system. Unlike Morgenthau who does not believe international relations can change because human nature cannot change, Waltz believes that by changing the nature of the system, changes can be made in international relations. This paper discusses the three hypotheses, or "images", put forth by Waltz in his book. First, human nature is the cause of war; second, the causes of war are found within states, since domestic society conditions human behavior; and, finally, the causes of war lie within the international system because the nature of the system conditions state behavior.

From the Paper:

"The same holds true for international relations. Anarchy is the key characteristic of the international system and results from the absence of a central authority, a world government, for example, able to maintain order. Anarchy is not the same as chaos, which is an absence of order. In anarchy, order is a result of the interactions of states. However, order is not automatic. Waltz rejects the idea that a balance of power is inevitable, inherent or natural. Instead, states will use force to get what they want if they value that interest more than peace. This means that states engage in cost-benefit analyses and will choose war if they believe the benefits of a use of force outweigh its costs."

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