A Cultural Theory of International RelationsIn 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. |
Contents
1 Introduction | 1 |
2 Fear interest and honor | 43 |
3 The spirit and its expression | 122 |
4 The ancient world | 165 |
5 Medieval Europe | 222 |
6 From Sun King to Revolution | 262 |
7 Imperialism and World War I | 305 |
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achieved Achilles actors American appetite and spirit aristocratic Aristotle army Athenian Athens behavior benefits Britain Cambridge University Press century Charlemagne Chivalry Civil classical Greece Cold War competition concept conflict Conrad von Hotzendorf culture defined Democracy described developed difficult dominant economic elite Empire Europe European fear find first forces Foreign Policy France French gain German Germany’s goals Greek hierarchy History Hitler Homer honor and standing honor societies hoplite Hundred Years War Ibid identity Iliad imperialism important increasingly influence interests international relations Iraq Italy Japan Japanese Khrushchev leaders Lebow London Louis XIV middle class military modern motives Mussolini norms office officers officials ofInternational ofthe one’s Oxford University Press Peace Peloponnesian War Plato political units Princeton University Princeton University Press prospect theory reason reflected Republic role Roman Roman Republic Russia self—esteem social Soviet Union Spartan status strategy Theory Thucydides tion trans values warfare warrior wars wealth World York