The normative problem of nuclear war in the thought of Kenneth Waltz and John Mearsheimer

Craig, Campbell ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4872-2403 2025. The normative problem of nuclear war in the thought of Kenneth Waltz and John Mearsheimer. International Relations 10.1177/00471178251334947

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Abstract

Kenneth Waltz and John Mearsheimer are the two most important exponents of the International Relations theory of Structural Realism. A key epistemological component of structural realism is its rejection of normative advocacy, as this is both unscientific and also pointless. I show how both scholars have been unable to adhere to this rule on the question of nuclear war, and how this threatens the logic of their theorising.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Cardiff Law & Politics
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
ISSN:	0047-1178
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	2 May 2025
Last Modified:	02 May 2025 10:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/178026

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